3 Ways Catholic Radio Can Enhance Your Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Written by catholicradio on June 1, 2023
The Catholic Church has used many methods to educate the faithful over the centuries. One of these methods is to dedicate each month of the calendar year to a different aspect of the faith. June is the month of the Sacred Heart.
On the liturgical calendar, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated following Pentecost Sunday and the feast of Corpus Christi.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Predates St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Today’s Catholics may be familiar with devotion to the Sacred Heart and promises in relation to mystical visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century. However, some believe reverencing Jesus in this way dates back much earlier to the 3rd century. At that time it was customary for Christians to pause at 3 p.m. to meditate on the 5 wounds of Jesus: His hands, His feet, and especially the wound in His side from being pierced by the spear.
Catholic Radio Can Enhance Your Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
It was 1673 when St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun, received mystical visions from Jesus. In His messages to her, Jesus asked for the Church to honor His Most Sacred Heart. He especially asked the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays of each month for nine consecutive months.
This message was important because it sought to establish ongoing reverence and memory of the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. Jesus’ heart is full of love and mercy. Honoring His Sacred Heart on nine consecutive First Fridays calls to mind a novena (nine consecutive days of prayer for a particular intention) as well as His death on Good Friday.
Whether or not you are able to attend Mass on nine consecutive First Fridays, the devotion to the Sacred Heart can be enkindled in your own heart by taking advantage of programming on Catholic radio.
1. Catholic Radio Draws Listeners to the Sacred Heart Because It Is Eucharistic
Central to Catholic radio is the premise that Jesus loves each of us and wants to draw us into a relationship with Him. It is during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that we see the priest, in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We unite our hearts with our Lord Who gave Himself for us.
This Eucharistic nature of Jesus’ heart permeates all of Catholic radio programming and is present especially when you listen to the daily Mass on one of our five livestreams at Catholic Radio Network.
2. The Love Jesus Has For Us in His Sacred Heart is Present in Catholic Radio
Jesus’ sacrifice of His life for us is a concrete demonstration of His love for us. When you listen to Catholic radio you will learn about feast days and annual holy days because programming follows the liturgical calendar.
Regularly, program hosts refer to early Church Fathers and Sacred Scripture to remind us of God’s plan in salvation history. He wants to draw us to Himself. Programs like Mother Angelica Live, Christ is the Answer with Fr. John Riccardo, and The Reason for our Hope with Fr. Larry Richards also teach listeners to recognize God’s love with spiritual eyes.
3. Catholic Radio Points to the Mercy of Jesus in His Sacred Heart
It is no coincidence that early devotion to the Sacred Heart included recalling the wounds of Jesus at the 3 o’clock hour. This, along with the image of the Sacred Heart and First Friday devotion are similar to the image and message of Jesus to St. Faustina of Divine Mercy.
Although God is the Just Judge, He is also Love. He is Mercy. This is another aspect of Jesus calling us to conversion so we may be more closely united to Him. When you tune in to your local Catholic radio station, you can not just listen, but unite yourself in prayer with others around the world and pray the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet.
In addition, you can listen to Fathers of Mercy and The Journey Home. These programs will teach and inspire you as you witness transformation through personal stories.
Join Catholic Radio Network and Grow in Knowledge and Love of Our Savior
The Sacred Heart is the source of love, mercy, and peace. We invite you to open your heart and listen so that you may experience more of these in your own life. You can listen live on our website, or you can download our free app for Apple and Android.
