Newly-installed Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales leads the faithful of the archdiocese in a solemn. Eucharistic Celebration with an Act of Consecration at the Manila Basilica Cathedral at 8:30 in the morning, to be followed by a procession, according to the committee for the National Consecration to the Sacred Heart.
The heads of the men Religious Congregations have been specially invited to concelebrate this Mass with the archbishop.
The ritual marks the observance of the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The solemn Act of Consecration will be dedicated for families and religious communities.
One million families are expected to join this solemn act of consecration for the protection of their families and of the Filipino people as a family of God.
In 1956, a similar act of consecration to the Sacred Heart was undertaken on the Feast of Christ the King during the Second Eucharistic Congress, participated by then President Ramon Magsaysay.
This nationwide consecration and celebration of nine First Fridays from November 2003 to July 2004 was mandated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines during its annual conference in July and explained in a pastoral message of the Permanent Council issued by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI, as president of CBCP.
The Bishops said that "recent events and developments in our country reveal once again what difficult times our people are going through, moving from crisis to crisis, in the economic and political areas most obviously, but there are currents also which disturb and threaten the deepest beliefs and values in family life and our community life as Church and as a nation."
These crises in social, economic, and political life of the nation, and the life of the family as well as in the church, all point to the need for "spiritual renewal, of penitence and prayer", prompting the Bishops to issue a special pastoral letter asking all the faithful to observe a nationwide celebration of the traditional nine First Fridays offered to the Sacred Heart of Jesus "including a re-consecration to the Lord of our families and our people."
To implement the two objectives for the renewal of Christian life and the sanctification of priests, the Bishops placed the nine-month activity in the framework of Conversion, Offering and Reparation with the acronym C-O-R, with a different theme for each of the nine months. On June 18, 2004, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a special Consecration of Priests shall be undertaken.
A brief form of the Act of Consecration has been issued by the CBCP so that as many individuals, families and other communities as possible may pray it, and renew it frequently. It follows:
Teach us to be always united with You through Your Holy Spirit, in mind and heart, in all our thoughts, words, deeds, joys and sufferings. Grant that we may ever "know You more clearly, Love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly."
We wish to share in your redeeming work in our world that Your Father’s will may truly be done on earth as it is in heaven, that the "civilization of justice and love" may thus be built up in our land.
Heart of Jesus, help us to keep sin away from our lives. Help us to keep loving, serving and forgiving each other. Live in our hearts and in our homes always. Make us wholly Yours.
With our Mother’s Immaculate Heart, we renew our consecration to your Sacret Heart, for the ever greater glory of our Father in Heaven, Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
A new Filipino (or Tagalog) version of the 1929 official national hymn to the Sacred Heart, "No Mas Amor Que El Tuyo", has also been made and authorized. This new translation goes with the music of the original hymn. It is hoped that all throughout our country, Filipinos, especially Filipino families – will raise their voices in songs, with this greatly-loved hymn, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The lyrics follows:
No Mas Amor Que El Tuyo (Filipino)
Walang higit na pag-ibig, O Mahal na Puso!
Ang bayang Pilipino, alay sa Puso Mo.
Sa templo, sa tahanan, sambit namin ang ‘Yong Ngalan.
Maghahari Kang tunay, sa Aparri hanggang Jolo.
Malaon na naming pangarap, paghari Mo sa Silangan.
Pananampalataya, nami’y singningas ng araw,
Sintatag ng kabundukan, ‘sinlawak ng karagatan.
Kailanma’y di pabibihag, bayan Mo sa kasalanan.
Tanghal sa tanang dako, ang banal Mong sagisag.
Ang sumpa ng karimlan, di magtatagumpay. – BB