What Can Christians Do About Blasphemy? Prayers and Practices for Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pre-S: The book links in this post are affiliate links for my amazon store front. If you make a purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Me and my latte fund thank you!
What can christians do when we encounter blasphemy?
Have you ever thought about why our culture uses God's name as a curse word? Like all of us, we just saw in the Olympic opening ceremony, there's something much deeper happening.
In this week's episode, I wanted to share some important ways we can go about repairing the harm that's done by unbelievers (satanists, really) and how we can console the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For all of us - whether you're Christian, Catholic, or just have a kindness in your heart for Jesus that you don't label - I hope this helps you.
a conviction we should all share: blasphemy wounds the sacred heart of Jesus.
A little while after I was saved I was convicted to make sure to never say blasphemies and to make every effort I could to have boundaries about hearing them. Before I was saved I would say blasphemous words here and there - something that was obviously wrong ONCE I knew it was wrong. But repenting and correcting our own behavioral sin can sometimes be easier than seeing the sin happening through other people’s words and actions around us.
You don't really notice it until your eyes are open to it and realize it's everywhere. We hear the GD’s and JC’s on shows, in movies, in casual conversations - like they are no big deal. Once I started really noticing, it started to feel like my own heart was hurting from it. So, can you imagine what Jesus’ heart feels like?!
To Christians, like you and me, who’ve experienced the love, compassion, and mercy of our Lord who’s saved us - it’s actually a very big deal. In a way, it’s become the ‘chill’ language of our culture.
‘Everyone’s doing it’ is not a reason
to use God’s name in vain.
what is blasphemy?
Before we go too deep, let’s define what blasphemy is, so it’s crystal clear.
2148 Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; in misusing God's name. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called." The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion.
Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself a grave sin. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Using god’s name as a curse should offend you.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ name is used as an insult and a curse? Have you thought about why it’s only the Christian Triune God that’s ever vilified and mocked? Words have meaning. Let’s look at scripture to really solidify the worship, reverence, and power of the name of Jesus Christ.
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:9-11
We could actually do a very cool Bible study about the power of Jesus through the reactions of the demons he casts out. They fear His name because they know who He IS. Check out the story in Mark 1:21-28 for example.
Demons fear Him, believers worship Him, so why blaspheme Him? If you’ve never stopped to think about this before, now’s a good time. Especially if you consider yourself a Christian who uses these words or is ‘ok’ with your social group using them. Sharing with friends and family about why this offends you can open up to greater relationship depth and respect of your faith. It’s worth thinking about and speaking up about.
what are the different kinds of blasphemy?
So far we’ve touched on words that offend the name of Our Lord, but other examples of blasphemy can be: vandalizing places of worship, burning sacred books like the Bible, worshipping satan, creating any form of art or public displays that disrespect God, - anything that degrades religious concepts.
We’ve seen this countless, countless times in pop culture - rappers claiming to be Christian but calling themselves God, devil worship at awards shows, making fun of Mother Mary in art and tv shows, music videos that blaspheme the body and blood of Christ in communion, and most recently what we saw - whatever that was - at the Olympics opening ceremony.
why console jesus’ heart through our prayers and actions?
You might be thinking, Jesus is GOD - why would he need my consolation? That’s a fair question! In the Catholic faith there’s an idea that we can offer acts of love and reparation for blasphemies and actions of ‘the world’ that grieve our Lord.
Scripture tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5) and by offering consolations to Jesus, we’re loving Jesus’ heart - who he is in his humanity, consoling him as someone we care about deeply in a time of his great shame, agony, grief, and personal pain - as we remember him during his Passion.
St. Faustina had an incredible devotion to consoling the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I highly recommend reading her book (and praying the Divine Mercy chaplet).
Fr. Robert Stackpole shares (from personal revelation of Jesus to St. Faustina) that Jesus wishes for his heart to be consoled and when we do he’s grateful!
’One time St. Faustina had a vivid vision of the scourging of the Lord Jesus, and when she responded to this with sorrow and compassion, Jesus said to her: "I see the sincere pain of Your heart, which brought solace to My Heart" (Diary, 445-446).
’At other times, Jesus spoke of His Heart as it is now, in heaven, and how her works of mercy could console Him even there. For example, He told her how much comfort it brings to Him when souls visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, and leave Him free to pour His graces out upon them:
My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls and especially for poor sinners.... I desire to bestow my graces upon souls [from the tabernacle] but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as you can and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console my Heart (Diary, 367).
Honestly, what better time than now, when people are living in a worldly way, outwardly showing defiant signs of hating God, than to offer our love and consolation to Jesus?
What you can do: offering reparation to the sacred heart of Jesus.
Thankfully, we have practices, we have prayers, and we have ways of saying: Lord, we are sorry. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - 3 Prayers to Learn
1. The Golden Arrow Prayer
Revealed by Our Lord to Sr. Mary of St. Peter in 1843 as a reparation for blasphemy. Our Lord gave Sister Mary a short but powerful prayer called' 'The Golden Arrow," by which a person can "shoot directly into the Heart of God" to heal the wounds inflicted on it by the malice of sinners.
After receiving this prayer, Sr. Mary of St. Peter was given a vision where she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Golden Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners.
The Prayer: May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven, on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Suggestion: Pray this every morning when you wake up (bonus if you do it devotionally in front of an image of the true copy of the Holy Face of our Lord)
2. Chaplet of Reparation and Adoration
This prayer was given to the children of Fatima by the Angel of Peace. Here is a free pdf to print and pray this chaplet. Pray this using normal rosary beads.
Now is a perfect time to read, learn, and study about the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima! What was shared with the 3 children is still as useful to us today as it was 100 years ago. The Angel of Peace visited the children preparing them for multiple visits by Our Lady. And one of the prayers the angel gave them was this chaplet.
This prayer asks forgiveness for those who do not love, do not adore, and do not believe in God and offers reparation for the ways this offends Jesus.
3. Pray the Litany of Reparation to the Blessed Sacrament
Because the blasphemy from the Olympics was directed towards the holiest and most sacred of Catholic Sacraments - the Eucharist - where we believe Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity reside - this would be a really nice litany to pray at least once a week.
Suggestion: Pray on Sunday to negate the evil aimed at sinning against the first 3 commandments and the blasphemy and unbelief about Jesus’ Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
books about reparation to the sacred heart and the holy face devotion
Diary of St. Faustina
I can’t say enough good things about this book. I’d recommend you read it slowlyyyy because there’s so much to tickle your brain. You could take one paragraph and pray with it for a month.
I pray the Divine Mercy chaplet at 3pm and then I’ll read a page or so.
I’m inspired by St. Faustina’s devotion and LOVE for Jesus.
Manual of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face
If you feel called to start a devotion to the Holy Face I highly recommend joining (or learning about) the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face.
This book is full of the official prayers of this group but would be useful for anyone who wants to pray these devotions.
The Secret of the Holy Face: The Devotion Destined to Save Society
I’ve learned so much from Fr. Lawrence Carney (watch all you can from him on YouTube, he’s amazing).
This book on the Holy Face is essential if you’re wanting to learn more of the history and practicals of what this devotion is all about A to Z.
The Golden Arrow Autobiography of Sr. Mary of Saint Peter
If you’d like to learn more about Sister Mary of St. Peter this book is a must-have (imo).
Did you know St. Therese modeled her devotional life off what she learned of Sr. Mary? She adapted her little way off her and was a role model for her.
Fatima and the First Saturdays
Devotions to Our Lady are so necessary in times of spiritual attack. Learning the First Saturday devotion is a way to repair for the 5 blasphemies against Mother Mary’s and the wounds they cause her heart - this was eye opening for me.
Our Mother’s Immaculate Heart is wounded too. Learning about the apparitions of Fatima and the prayers Our Lady gave to the children (and practices like little sacrifices) is something we can do every day.
I hope these suggestions remind you not to lose hope in sad times. Instead, we cling to Our Hope who is Jesus.
I can say, even when my heart was saddest through this, I was heartened most in the comments section (of all places)! I was seeing people - whether believers or not - come share kindnesses and consoling words. What is meant to tear us apart, brought us together.
It reminds me of Romans 5:20 ‘where sin increased, grace abounded all the more’. Thank you, Jesus.
references on these topics:
https://mostsacredheart.com/prayers/golden-arrow.html#:~:text=May%20the%20most%20holy%2C%20most,Holy%20Sacrament%20of%20the%20altar
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/how-you-can-personally-console-jesus-in-gethsemane
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/can-we-really-console-heart-jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scgE60WfypU
https://catholicexchange.com/paris-massive-blackout-and-sacre-coeurs-light/