June: a month where everything seems to turn into a rainbow. Everything from your app icons to the flags displayed in storefront windows; the rainbow is used in support of disordered relationships and stands as a symbol contrary to the truth. Furthermore, if you were engaged and using a secular wedding platform such as the Knot, Zola or With Joy, you would find many images of people with same sex-attraction inappropriately embracing or getting “married”, and you would likely have received an email this month with pictures promoting and celebrating these relationships that are antithetical to our faith. Contrary to all of these secular wedding platforms, Cana is founded upon Christ, the One who gave the rainbow as a promise to Noah and his descendants not to flood the earth again; it is His rainbow and His sign. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Cana is founded upon the truth: marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman for life, and any other relationship simply is not a marriage. (All vendors listed in the Cana Vendor Directory share this belief as well.) The imagery used throughout Cana reflects this truth; it is beautiful, sacramental, and eucharistic. Contrary to secular society, in June and in union with the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, we love, adore, and honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (To read more why June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart read here.)
Since the founding of Cana, there have been several custom themes with which you can honor the Sacred Heart by adorning your wedding website with its image for all of your wedding guests to see. Additionally, in honor of this great solemnity of the Sacred Heart, a new website layout called “Sacred and Immaculate” has just been released that features both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
About a year after my husband and I were married, we decided to solemnly enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus as King of our home and this year we renewed the enthronement. This is a novena prayer that ideally is to be concluded on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (which falls on June 12th this year), but can also be made on any Sunday. During this ceremony, Jesus was invited into our home as King and an act of reparation was made to make amends for all of those that have wounded His Sacred Heart. Furthermore, we put on display a picture of His Sacred Heart on our home altar, a direct request of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque; Jesus himself said He would bless each home where a picture of His Sacred Heart is exposed and honored. (To read more about the enthronement read here.)
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was beautifully and simply explained by the priest who gave the homily at the mass for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we attended today. He had explained it to some kindergarteners in three sentences with three words each: “Receive His love. Return His love. Share His love.” Let us take these phrases to heart and live them out each day, by the grace of God.
These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who venerate His Sacred Heart:
1 – I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2 – I will give peace in their families.
3 – I will console them in all their troubles.
4 – I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5 – I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6 – Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7 – Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8 – Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9 – I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10 – I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11 – Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.
12 – In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
Finally, I wanted to encourage you and your future spouse to seriously consider who sits on the throne of your hearts. Is it Instagram? Binge watching Youtube? Watching sports or movies? Or is it the Lord Jesus Christ? Who will be king of your future home together? Talk about it; it will strengthen your future marriage!
Anna at Cana
Married December 15, 2018 at Saint Patrick Church in Columbus, Ohio
Mother of three on Earth and 1 in heaven
PS. If you are engaged and have not yet signed up for Cana, sign up here! If you already have a wedding website with the other guys, don’t worry, there’s still time to switch :)
