The spirituality of Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ springs from its roots in the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “The shield you see in our logo shows it: Christ and his Heart at the center, meeting deeply with Him and His Love, and sharing this wonderful experience with the world around us,” explains Fr. Jorge Ranninger, LC, national director of the apostolate Living the Sacred Heart as a Family. This initiative began to help each person to meet Jesus, with the Love of his Most Sacred Heart, and to make this encounter with not remain in a single member of the family but for the whole family. The Heart of Jesus should reign in each marriage and in each family, and make Jesus’ love is the epicenter and energizer of all family life. When Jesus is at the center of the family, the problems do not disappear, but they are faced differently.
Maribel Gallardo testifies, “Since we have enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home, something has changed. Before we had a hard time praying together. It was not easy to pray as a couple or with our children. Now, this has begun to change. There is a New Fountain in the house where we all approach, from the smallest child to the father.” The ninth promise that the Heart of Jesus gave to St. Margaret Mary was: “I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.”
The Church has a long tradition of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Two important milestones in this devotion date back to the apparitions that St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had, in 1673-1675, in Paray-le-Monial, and later in 1733, apparitions in Valladolid, Spain, to Bl. Bernardo de Hoyos. The references of the popes and the Magisterium of the Church are innumerable, especially in four pontifical documents that speak of this devotion: Annum Sacrum, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Summi Pontificatus, and Haurietis Aquas.
Preparing to receive the Sacred Heart in the family
This apostolate of Regnum Christi is run in each city by teams, which any person can participate in. Most team members are married couples, but they also include Consecrated Women, Lay Consecrated Men and Legionaries of Christ. This initiative promotes a very simple path for the Heart of Jesus to reign in families and homes. To begin, married couples are invited to a talk introducing them to what the devotion means, and what it means to receive the Heart of Jesus in their marriage, in their family, and in their home.
Then all the families are present at a Mass where each family receives the image of the Heart of Jesus and supporting material.
Lastly, each family performs a simple enthronement ceremony in their home where the image of the Heart of Jesus is placed in the center of their home, where they can see it every day and remember that Jesus reigns there. It is recommended that a priest be invited to perform it.
The Sacred Heart kit
Those who consecrate their family to the Heart of Jesus receive a kit consisting of an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to enthrone in the house, a plaque to place at the door of their home and some prayer cards. Several booklets come with these: one on preparing for personal consecration, another one explaining family devotion to the Heart of Jesus and how to live it, and a third booklet for young children on this subject.
There are currently teams promoting this apostolate in Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, Córdoba, Mallorca, Valencia, Bilbao and Ávila. It has already been offered with very good reception to various parishes and schools in these cities.
Fr. Ranninger explains, “We offer this apostolate and effort to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in reparation for the sins of the world and of all people. Everything that is done with this apostolate is always for the Glory of God, and that is why it is destined for all the families of the world.”
You can read the original on the Spanish Regnum Christi site.
