Seek your pastor or another priest, deacon, or bishop to set a date for the enthronement.
Have the entire family receive Holy Communion at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered on the day.
Procure a beautiful picture or statue of the Sacred Heart (called herein «image»), if you do not already have one.
Prepare a permanent «throne», a table or mantelpiece, a home altar. Cover it with white cloth and decorate it with flowers and candles. Leave in it empty the «place of honor», the prominent place where the «image» will be enthroned permanently. If the «image» to be enthroned will be hanging on a wall, place the «throne» under it. Prepare also a «temporary table», or stand, near the «throne», which will hold your «image» temporarily before its permanent installment in its «place of honor». Place picture or statue of the Sacred Heart on the «temporary table», near the «throne». You may place pictures of departed and absent family members around «throne».
Have incense and holy water handy.
Invite your relatives and friends for the ceremony.
Have a family party after the ceremony. Make the day as solemn as possible.
The ceremony consists in the following moments:
Initial gathering
Blessing of the image of the Sacred Heart
Installation of the Image
Brief exhortation
Act of Enthronement
Plea for the absent
Prayer of thanksgiving
Concluding prayer
Signing of Certificate of Enthronement
All gather around the «throne». Family children nearest the presider.
The presider (marked herein as P) greets the family (marked herein as F) with the peace of Christ:
P. The peace of Christ be upon this home and all who dwell herein!
F. And with your spirit.
The presider blesses the incense and prays with family in the words of Psalm 141:1-2:
P. I call upon You, O Lord;
F. make haste to me!
P. Give ear to my voice,
F. when I call to You!
P. Let my prayer be counted as incense before You,
F. and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice!
The presider then proceeds to bind and expel from the home any evil spirits harassing it, and its inhabitants, with the following minor exorcism prayer (not restricted for exorcists):
P. All evil spirits who may be present,
residing in this home,
or in any other way harassing its inhabitants,
I bind you all in the Name of Jesus,
by the power of the Holy Cross,
by the power of the most Precious Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by the intercession
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
St. Michael the Archangel,
the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul,
the holy angels and patron saints of this family,
and all of the saints,
and I command you to leave this home
and its inhabitants
and go to the foot of the Holy Cross
to receive your sentence,
in the Name of the Father ✠,
the Son ✠ and the Holy ✠ Spirit.
F. Amen.
The presider, in surplice and stole, blesses the «image» of the Sacred Heart.
P. Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God,
who does approve
the painting and sculpturing of the images of Your saints,
so that as often as we gaze upon them
we are reminded to imitate their deeds and sanctity;
vouchsafe, we implore You,
to bless ✠ and sanctify this image
made in honor and in memory
of the Most Sacred Heart
of Your only begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ;
and grant that whosoever, in its presence,
will suppliantly worship and honor
the Most Sacred Heart of Your only begotten Son,
may obtain through His merits and intercession
grace in this life
and everlasting glory in the world to come.
Through Christ our Lord.
F. Amen.
The presider sprinkles the image with holy water.
The presider or the head of household then installs the «image» in its «place of honor».
Once in its «place of honor», the presider incenses the «image». Then he leads all to recite the Apostles’ Creed.
P. Let us profess our faith.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
F. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
The presider then addresses a few words of exhortation to those present.
The presider incenses the «image». All kneel.
The presider then starts the official Act of Enthronement, followed at unison by the family.
P. O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
who did make known to St. Margaret Mary
Your ardent desire to reign over Christian families,
F. behold us lovingly assembled here today,
to enthrone You:
to proclaim Your absolute dominion over our home.
Henceforth, we purpose to lead a life like Yours
so that among us may flourish
the virtues for which You did promise peace on earth,
and for this end we will banish from our midst
the spirit of the world which You abhor so much.
You will reign over our understanding
by the simplicity of our faith.
You will reign over our hearts
by an ardent love for You;
and may the flame of this love
be ever kept burning in our hearts
by the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Deign, O Divine Heart,
to preside over our meetings,
to bless our undertakings,
both spiritual and temporal,
to banish all worry and care,
to sanctify our joys and soothe our sorrows.
If any of us should ever have the misfortune
to grieve Your Sacred Heart,
remind him of Your goodness
and mercy toward the repentant sinner.
Lastly, when the hour of separation will sound
and death will plunge our home into mourning,
then shall we all and every one of us
be resigned to Your eternal decrees,
and seek consolation in the thought
that we shall all one day be reunited in heaven,
where we shall sing the praises and blessings
of Your Sacred Heart for all eternity.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph
offer You this our Consecration
and remind us of the same
all the days of our life.
Glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus,
our King and our Father! Amen.
The presider here asks those present to say together one Our Father and Hail Mary for all absent members, both living and dead, making allusion to any pictures of the absent family members.
P. Let us intercede for our beloved absent family members.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
F. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
P. Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus..
F. Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
All recite with the presider the following prayer of thanksgiving:
P. Glory be to You,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
for the infinite mercy
You have bestowed
upon the privileged members of this family.
You have chosen it
from thousands of others,
as a recipient of Your Love
and a sanctuary of reparation
wherein Your Most Loving Heart
shall find consolation
for all the ingratitude of men.
F. How great, O Lord Jesus,
is the awe
of this portion of Your faithful flock
as we accept the unmerited honor
of seeing You preside over our family!
Silently we adore You,
overjoyed to see You sharing
under the same roof
the toils, cares, and joys
of Your innocent children!
It is true
we are not worthy
that You should enter our humble abode,
but You have already reassured us,
when You revealed Your Sacred Heart to us,
teaching us to find in the wound of Your Sacred Side
the source of grace and life everlasting.
In this loving and trusting spirit
we give ourselves to You,
You who are unchanging life.
Remain with us, Most Sacred Heart,
for we feel an irresistible desire
to love You and make You loved.
May our home be for You
a haven as sweet as that of Bethany,
where You can find rest
in the midst of loving friends,
who like Mary
have chosen the better part
in the loving intimacy of Your Heart!
May this home be for You,
O beloved Savior,
a humble but hospitable refuge
during the exile
imposed on You by your enemies.
Come, then, Lord Jesus, come,
for here as at Nazareth,
we have a tender love
for the Virgin Mary,
Your sweet Mother,
whom You have given us to be our Mother.
Come to fill with Your sweet presence
the vacancies
which misfortune and death
have wrought in our midst.
O most faithful Friend,
had You been here
in the midst of sorrow,
our tears would have been less bitter;
the comforting balm of peace
would have soothed these hidden wounds,
which are known to You alone.
Come, for even now perhaps,
there is drawing near for us
the twilight of tribulation,
and the decline of the passing days
of our youth and illusions.
Stay with us,
for already it is late,
and a perverted world
seeks to envelop us
in the darkness of its denials
while we wish to adhere to You,
who alone are the Way,
the Truth, and the Life.
Repeat for us those words
You uttered of old,
«This day I must abide in this home.»
Yes, dear Lord,
take up Your abode with us,
so that we may live in Your love
and in Your presence,
we who proclaim You as our King
and wish no other!
May Your triumphant Heart, O Jesus,
be forever loved, blessed,
and glorified in this home!
Your Kingdom come! Amen.
All stand. The presider and family conclude the enthronement imploring to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, especially the family patron saints.
P. As an act of plea and homage to the Immaculate Heart of Mary let us pray the Salve Regina:
F. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
P. Let us plea the intercession of our heavenly patrons reciting the following ejaculatory prayers:
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
F. Have mercy on us.
P. Immaculate Heart of Mary,
F. Pray for us.
P. St. Joseph,
F. Pray for us.
P. St. Margaret Mary,
F. Pray for us.
P. Holy Angels and patron saints of this family,
F. Pray for us.
P. Glory to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
F. forever and ever. Amen.
The presider gives the blessing.
P. Benedictio Dei omnipotentis,
Patris, et Filii, ✠ et Spiritus Sancti,
descendat super vos et maneat semper.
F. Amen.
Then the members of the family and the presider sign the Certificate of the Enthronement, which can be framed and hung near the picture of the Sacred Heart or kept in the family archives.