ORLANDO (OSV News): On June 11, the second day of their June 10-12 plenary, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB] formally consecrated the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This act was part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The momentous Mass was celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando.
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the USCCB, was joined by more than 200 bishops, along with approximately 150 observers, mostly benefactors and staff of the Diocese of Orlando.
“Clothe us, Lord God, with the virtues of the heart of your son, and set us aflame with his love,” the archbishop prayed in opening the Mass.
The relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque—the French Visitation sister who experienced visions of Jesus revealing his Sacred Heart—were also present at the Mass, on loan for the consecration from the Knights of Columbus.
In his homily, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, described the Sacred Heart of Jesus not as an “abstract devotion,” but as a “visible sign of love.”
To consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart is ultimately to accept Christ’s invitation to remain in his love and to allow that love to shape every aspect of our lives, public and private
Archbishop Lori
He described the consecration as an act of faith and acknowledgement of the need for God’s mercy, wisdom and guidance. It is also an act of hope. It is “a heart that has known joy and sorrow, friendship and betrayal, suffering and sacrifice,” he said.
The archbishop noted that the act is also an acknowledgement of God’s faithful work and love in the world, and how we as people and as a Church have not always “clearly reflected that love.”
He added, “Indeed, it is sometimes obscured almost beyond recognition. To be sure, there have been moments of extraordinary witness and holiness. But there have also been moments of failure, division and sin. Consecration requires the humility to acknowledge both.”
Archbishop Lori said, “To consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart is ultimately to accept Christ’s invitation to remain in his love and to allow that love to shape every aspect of our lives, public and private. It is a declaration that the future does not belong merely to political movements, economic forces, or human plans. The future belongs to God.”
The archbishop said, “This consecration is not something the bishops do for you. It is something we do together. The renewal of the Church and our nation will not come through declarations alone. It will come through disciples who remain in Christ’s love and bear the good fruit of holiness in families, parishes, communities and in their daily lives.”
The Sacred Heart reconciles divisions and transforms hardened hearts, the archbishop said.
“It means building communities—ecclesial and civil—where truth is proclaimed clearly and charity is practised generously. It means resisting the temptation to define ourselves by division, ideology or resentment,” Archbishop Lori said. “We consecrate our nation, not because it is perfect, but because it is beloved by God. We entrust to the Heart of Christ our achievements and failures, our hopes and anxiety, our present challenges and our future aspirations.”
