I was so grateful that the Men of the Sacred Hearts could come to lead a home enthronement ceremony at St.
John Vianney Parish for the Feast of Christ the King this year. Last year at the feast, I had spoken about the
importance of letting Christ reign over us as individuals -- he calls us by name, and we have to decide to let him
be Lord of each corner of our hearts. But it's an important step for a family to decide together to let Christ reign
over their homes. That commitment becomes more public, and you learn to support each other in that
commitment. Jesus called the first disciples individually by name, but almost immediately his mission extended
to families - siblings Peter and Andrew; James and John; Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Enthroning the Sacred
Heart in the home is a way of gathering together like they did, and deciding that despite what may go on outside
these walls, here in this home, Christ is King. 
I was struck when David shared with the parish the importance of having an image of Jesus in the home,
specifically with his exposed Sacred Heart. When I was in college, there was a stained glass window of the
Sacred Heart above the tabernacle. Under the image was a text from the book of Proverbs: "My son, give me
your heart." Jesus asks for our hearts, but he speaks those words while pointing to his own Heart, as if to say
without saying it, "I've given you everything I have." That's the kind of King that we enthrone in our homes. He
is God and Lord, but he is also meek and humble of heart. Sometimes it may seem he asks for a lot, but he has
won our commitment by giving us his own Heart first. When he asks, "give me your heart," the natural response
becomes "why not?" It's learning to serve Christ the King in the spirit of what he told his disciples at the Last
Supper before he gave his life for them: "I no longer call you slaves, but friends."

 

Pastor James Grau Comments on the Pastor led Home

Enthronement Ceremony for his flock.