Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart

Book excerpt: Jesus invites you to experience his love through devotion to his Sacred Heart, a powerful source of spiritual and personal healing that can also transform your relationships with family, friends, and others around you. In Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart, Emily Jaminet—executive director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network—identifies ten habits and virtues that come from the Sacred Heart. She also shows how you can intentionally practice these virtues in order to get closer to Jesus and strengthen the relationships that are most important to you. Having Jesus at the center of family life isn’t reserved for the pious; it’s a form of practical spirituality that is open to everyone. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been a cornerstone of Jaminet’s life bolstering the faith of four generations of her family members. In this book she shares her own story as well as the real-life experiences of regular Catholics whose families have been changed for the better by the love and virtue that came from devotion to the Sacred Heart. The habits and virtues include: Encounter the King: welcome Jesus into your home with the virtue of docility; Welcome the Light: have courage to rid your heart of shame; Let Go of the Need to Control: rediscover the liberating virtue of humility; Put Jesus at the Center of Relationships: experience the release of forgiveness; and Live in the Kingdom of Peace: experience the transforming power of prudence. Each chapter includes a prayer, reflection questions, and wisdom from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque—who began the Sacred Heart devotion—and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.