Blessed Margaret Mary exhorted all Christians, even as they value their salvation, to consecrate themselves to the Heart of Jesus. These are her words: "The devil fears above all things else the accomplishment of this good work . . . by the saving of so many souls, through devotion to this loving Heart, of those who shall consecrate themselves wholly to Its love, honor, and glory."

A sure means of having all Christians consecrate themselves to the Divine Heart is to begin with the children. The year 1889 was the year of the reign of the Sacred Heart over society, promoted by the Consecration of Families to the Divine Heart. The year 1890, the 2d Centenary of Blessed Margaret Mary, should be the crowning and completion of the work so well begun. Under the auspices of this blessed seer a special effort will be made to consecrate to the Sacred Heart the "heart of the family"--the children so dear to the Divine Master. A special motive urgently pressing the proposal of this Consecration of Children, is the relentless and unholy warfare against the Christian education of children. A more powerful protection than this Consecration could not be given them.

Priest or teacher:    Divine Heart of Jesus, behold us prostrate in Thy sight to give Thee our love and consecrate ourselves to Thee for ever. In the name of Mary, our Mother in heaven, sweet Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.

Children:    In the name of Mary, our Mother in heaven, sweet Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.

Priest or teacher:    O good and most loving Jesus, during the days of Thy mortal life, Thou wert pleased to bless little children and didst allow them to press close to Thee, saying to the bystanders: Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not. "We thank Thee, O good Jesus, for Thy great love toward us and we offer in return our whole heart and all our love.

Children:    We thank Thee, O good Jesus, for Thy great love toward us and we offer in return our whole heart and all our love.

Priest or teacher:    O good and most loving Jesus, Thou delightest in the prayers of children and dost listen to their innocent desires. On this beautiful day, more than ever, give ear to their wishes and grant their requests. Together we will say: Heart of Jesus, bless our father, bless our mother, bless our relatives and our teachers.

Children:    Heart of Jesus, bless our father, bless our mother, bless our relatives and teachers.

Priest or teacher:    Heart of Jesus, bless our companions and pardon poor sinners.

Children:    Heart of Jesus, bless our companions and pardon poor sinners.

Priest or teacher:    Divine Heart of Jesus, we pray Thee, also, for the children of the whole world: guard the cradle of tho new-born, the school of children, the vocation of youth; be Thou Thyself the support of poor children and a father to orphans. But, most of all, O Jesus, Thou fulness of mercy and of love, we beseech Thee to aid us in the hour of death; then, more closely than ever before, unite us to Thy Divine Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Thy gracious Mother; be our shelter and our refuge, and our resting-place; and when, one after the other, we shall have fallen asleep in Thy blessed bosom, O Jesus, may each of us in Paradise find again all his family unbroken in Thy Sacred Heart.

All together:    --Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Great Saint Joseph, pray for us! Holy Guardian Angels, intercede for us! Amen.


Note: This consecration may be made by children at any time, either in common in church, or privately at home.

My most loving Jesus, when I ponder over thy most Sacred Heart, all tenderness and sweetness for sinners, then doth my heart rejoice, and I am filled with hope of thy kind welcome. But, ah me, my sins! how many and how great! With Peter and with Magdalen, I bewail and abhor them, because they are an offence to Thee, my Sovereign Good. Oh, grant me pardon for them all. I pray thy Sacred Heart that I may rather die than offend Thee again, and may live only to love Thee.

Pater once, Gloria five times, in honour of the Sacred Heart, then:

Sweet Heart of my Jesus, Make me love Thee ever more and more,

My Jesus, I bless thy most humble Heart; and I give thanks unto Thee, who in making It my model dost urge me with strong pleadings to imitate It, and also, at the cost of so many humiliations, dost vouchsafe thyself to point out and smooth for me the way to follow Thee. Fool and ungrateful that I am, how have I wandered far away from Thee! Pardon me, my Jesus! Take away from me all hateful pride and ambition, that with lowly heart I may follow Thee, my Jesus, amidst humiliations, and so gain peace and salvation. Strengthen me, Thou who canst, and I will ever bless thy Sacred Heart.

Pater once, Gloria five times, in honour of the Sacred Heart, then:

Sweet Heart of my Jesus, Make me love Thee ever more and more,

My Jesus, I marvel at thy most patient Heart, and I give Thee thanks for all the wondrous examples of unwearied patience which Thou hast left us. It grieves me that these examples still have to reproach me for my excessive delicacy, shrinking from every little pain. Pour, then, into my heart, O dear Jesus, a fervent and constant love of suffering and the cross, of mortification and of penance, that, following Thee to Calvary, I may with Thee attain the joys of Paradise.

Pater once, Gloria five times, in honour of the Sacred Heart, then:
Sweet Heart of my Jesus, Make me love Thee ever more and more,

Dear Jesus, beside thy most gentle Heart I set my own, and shudder to see how unlike mine is to thine. How am I wont to fret and grieve when a hint, a look, or a word thwarts me! Pardon all my violence, and give me for the future grace to imitate in every contradiction thy unalterable meekness, that so I may enjoy an everlasting holy peace.

Pater once, Gloria five times, in honour of the Sacred Heart, then:

Sweet Heart of my Jesus, Make me love Thee ever more and more,

Let us sing praise to Jesus for his generous Heart, Conqueror of death and hell; for well It merits every praise. Still more than ever confounded am I, looking upon my coward heart, which dreads even a rough word or injurious taunt. But it shall be so with me no more. My Jesus, I pray Thee for such strength that, fighting and conquering self on earth, I may one day rejoice triumphantly with Thee in heaven.

Pater once, Gloria five times, in honour of the Sacred Heart, then:

Sweet Heart of my Jesus, Make me love Thee ever more and more,



Now let us turn to Mary, and dedicating ourselves yet more and more to her, and trusting in her Mother's heart, we say to her: By all the virtue of thy most sweet heart obtain for me, great Mother of God, our Mother Mary, a true and enduring devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thy Son, that, bound up in every thought and affection in union with his Heart, I may fulfil each duty of my state, serving Jesus ever more with readiness of heart, and specially this day.

V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love or us,
R. Inflame our hearts with love of Thee.

Let us pray.

Lord, we beseech Thee, let thy Holy Sprit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, sent forth from his inmost Heart upon this earth, and willed that it should burn exceedingly. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.