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The month of June is historically devoted to the Sacred Heart. During this month the Church urges the faithful to consider in prayer and devotion the heart of our Savior. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is intimately associated with the most fundamental teachings of the Gospel: Jesus is the personified revelation of the Father’s infinite love, true God and true man; He has a personal interest in every human being; this caring love was seen from the very outset to be symbolized in Christ’s human heart.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart, one which has become widely known only since the 17th Century, owes a great deal to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. St. Margaret Mary was a humble and holy French nun to whom our Lord appeared on several occasions. In one of these visions He showed her His heart, pierced with a wound, encircled with a crown of thorns, surrounded by flames and surmounted by a cross — as we see it usually represented in pictures and statues in the present day. He commanded her to practice and to teach others the devotion to His Sacred Heart, because of His ardent desire to be loved by all and His wish to give to all people the treasures of His love and mercy.

We at St. Olaf have the opportunity to consider these profound mysteries of the love of Jesus in a special way in the Church at the Sacred Heart alcove, found on the left side of the sanctuary. Along with the alcove of the Blessed Virgin Mary, these two areas of prayer provide a quiet and peaceful place to consider the mysteries of our faith and come to a greater awareness of God’s great love.

The tremendous devotion with which people join us in prayer, to light a candle or simply sit in the quiet of our church is a powerful witness to another aspect in which St. Olaf serves as an oasis of prayer amid the hustle and bustle of downtown. During these last days of June, please join me in prayer, to consider the immense love that pours forth from His Sacred Heart for us, for our parish and for the world.