350 families consecrated to the Sacred Heart
Next December 27 will be the 350th anniversary of the first appearance of Christ to Saint Margaret of Alacoque (France, 1673). For this celebration, the Sacred Heart of Talagante parish has proposed giving its patron saint a very special gift: 350 families and homes consecrated to his Heart “for these 350 years of grace.”
ASCJ Communications spoke with Father Carlos Cabezas, parish priest of this parish, about the so-called “Mission 350”, which began on June 16 (Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and patron saint’s day of the parish) and will conclude on December 27 ( anniversary of the first appearance).
What is mission 350 about?
This mission is about giving families consecrated to him to the Heart of Christ. It is a mission of reaching homes and meeting people in their families, a way of making the Church present through a deacon, nun or priest, together with one or two lay people from this parish.
How did it come about?
After the visit to the relics of Saint Margaret Mary of Alacoque (November 7-8, 2022) that we had in the parish, our community sought to move towards greater knowledge and practice of devotion to the Heart of Christ. This caused us to put emphasis on the knowledge of the revelations of Jesus to Saint Margaret, which occurred between the years 1673-1675. We wanted to do a mission of the Heart of Christ and we discerned that the 350th anniversary of the apparitions was a moment of grace to share more with those who live around us and to whom the Lord calls us to speak of his love, of his Sacred Heart that claims love.
Image of the Sacred Heart that families receive. There is a calendar to bless homes on Fridays, which since the beginning of the devotion have been especially dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
What are the fruits you have had so far?
We set ourselves the goal of working so that at least 350 families would be consecrated to the Heart of Jesus. Today we already have 310 families that have already welcomed our patron image. And we have more families registered who will welcome our mission. Little by little we are collecting fruits for the Lord. Many people have been grateful that we have visited their homes, some return to mass, many others are interested in the revelations of the Heart of Christ. Just as the Lord also gives us concerns about how to continue expanding his merciful love. In most of these families there is a greater link with the Church through the parish. Little by little, the First Friday Mass becomes attended by more people. We have placed every confidence that the Heart of Our Lord will draw everyone to Himself.
What do you expect after the mission concludes?
As a parish we would like to always continue to be missionaries. It is that our entire mission is the Heart of Christ. This mission wants to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first apparition that occurred on December 27, 1673. We have work ahead of us since the Lord revealed himself four times to Saint Margaret Mary. Next year we want to celebrate the anniversary of the second and third apparitions. Perhaps we will vary the modality, we are still discerning with Commission 350, which is the coordinating team. On their own initiative, two young high school students have joined our team. They have been pleasantly surprised by what carrying the blessed images of our Sacred Heart of Jesus produces in families.
Why is it necessary for the SCJ to be present again in the homes of Chile?
I believe that Catholics in Chile are invited by the Lord himself to fix our eyes on Him. The Lord is the cornerstone of all our faith. His revelations to Saint Margaret Mary constitute a true treasure that should be known by everyone. Devotion to the Heart of Christ is the ‘sum of the entire Christian religion’ as Pope Pius XI has specified. The reform we need in our Church is to start from the Heart of our Redeemer. With devotion to the Heart of the Lord we build a more solid faith because we rediscover every time we approach Him that God has a heart. God wanted to love like us, suffer like us, to give us the gift of a salvation that we could never obtain by our own strength. Furthermore, I consider that refounding faith from the Heart of Christ always provides us with greater attention to reality, seeking to transform our interior and exterior. The human heart, to live fully, needs to unify these two dimensions. And relying on the Heart of Christ, we will always know where the source of true life is.
Source:https://vensagradocorazon.cl/…/un-gran-regalo-para-el…/