Object and Aim of the Guard of Honor

WHAT IS THE GUARD OF HONOR OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS ASSOCIATION?

It is first and foremost a Eucharistic Association.  This world-wide Association and devotion have their beginning in the Sisters of Visitation at Paray-le-Monial, France and at Bourg-en-Bresse, France and can be found in over 30 countries throughout the world, with members including several popes, clergy, religious and the laity. The Guard of Honor, the Hour of Presence of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Association, is a little army rallied around the Eucharistic Throne of Jesus, where hour after hour, faithful sentinels replace one another in spirit, to offer to the Heart of Jesus a perpetual homage of glory, love and reparation.   It is in response to this sorrowful complaint of our Lord that the Guard of Honor is organized, “My Heart has expected reproach and misery, and I looked for one who would grieve together with Me, but there was none; and for one that would comfort me, and I found none.” (Ps. 68) The members that compose the Guard of Honor, strive by their devotion and their love, to console the Heart of Jesus wounded by the ingratitude and forgetfulness of the men that He loves so ardently, for whom He has suffered so much and of whom He is loved so little. 

The special object, which this Association proposes to the worship of its Members, is the most Sacred Heart of Jesus considered as “visibly wounded”, once by the Lance, on the tree of the Cross and “invisibly wounded” every day, by the forgetfulness, ingratitude and sins of men. 

To this end, the members choose one hour of the day, every day at the same hour, to be attentive to the presence of Jesus.  To do a chosen Hour, one NEED NOT be in Church or at prayer.  When the chosen hour strikes, the members, without changing any of their usual occupations or whatever they are doing, or wherever they are, place themselves either in person at Eucharistic Adoration or in spirit at the foot of the Cross as the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John and St. Mary Magdalene at Calvary did.  There, the members offer to Jesus simple acts of love by offering their thoughts, words, works, joys and sufferings to give glory to His Heart with the desire to make reparation for the offenses He receives from people every day, so that through this offering of love, the whole Body of Christ and the whole world may benefit and be blessed.  They remain united with Jesus for an hour under his divine gaze.  It is at this hour that members do the “Precious Offering” where they are spiritually present to receive the “blood and water” from the Pierced Heart of Christ.  The Blood and Water, in an act of love and reparation, are then offered to God the Father for the needs of the Church and the world.  

Members also consecrate themselves for their brothers and sisters in Christ so that they also may be consecrated in truth.  To the Guard of Honor was reserved the privilege of fixing the attention of souls on the Heart of Jesus transpierced by the Lance of the Roman soldier and to assemble around this Wounded Heart the phalanxes of consolets whom “He had not found”.  Guards serve their hour come rain or shine, offering simple acts of love to the Lord while going about their daily routines, creating a perpetual tribute to the Lord without asking anything in exchange.

Each member/consoler/adorer is not only to comfort the suffering Jesus in His Sacred Humanity through mindful attentiveness but perform the apostolic work of obtaining grace and healing for His Mystical Body, the Church, by their love offering, united to the precious blood and water of Jesus’ merits to the Father.  Throughout the entire world in every time and zone, someone is with the Lord.  Every hour is covered by a Guard of Honor.   The idea is to religiously and conscientiously offer that HOUR every day at the same time, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, provided you are living that Hour with the firm intention of consoling His heart.  Members are asked to attend Mass on First Fridays and celebrations on special Feasts such as the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Christ the King.  There may be some days of recollection or retreats necessary to nourish the spiritual life of the members.

During the course of each hour, the Association has specific intentions assigned for each hour, offered for the needs of the Church and the world, and each member may participate in the intentions of our perpetual (i.e., round-the-clock) supplication, along with the intercession or help of the patron saints for each hour, such as the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, etc.  The intention could be for political leaders, for youth, etc.   

An additional HOUR OF MERCY may also be chosen for the intention of special person or persons, family or social group in the spirit of reparation.     What a simple and practical way that one can daily live out their devotion to Jesus and to His Sacred Heart – a way that Pope John Paul II practiced.  The Association aspires to ensure that at all hours of the day, fervent Christians are attentive to Christ’s burning love for us.  

Why become a member? The Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart is one of the associations most enriched with indulgences. Besides sharing in these indulgences and in the Masses offered each month for Associates living and dead, the Members of the Guard of Honor have the benefit of the union of prayer existing among millions of souls who belong to the Archconfraternity of the Guard of Honor throughout the world. Through this devotion, the members can be united in consoling the Heart of Jesus (who is greatly offended and wounded by the sins of mankind) by our love, simply offering our prayers, thoughts, words, actions and sufferings in reparation. 

The Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an association which makes it possible for every baptized Catholic to live, in his or her daily life, a spirituality that is in everyone’s reach and develop a deep relationship with God in the simplest possible way.  We look forward to being with someone who we know loves us.  We don’t have to do great things but we can simply offer small things with great love. 

Examples on How to Observe A Chosen Hour:  Assuming you are already a member of the Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and you have chosen 9am – 10am as your Guard of Honor Hour.

1. Scenario 1:  You will be going for Eucharistic Adoration for an Hour.

In front of the Blessed Sacrament, look at the Lord lovingly and recall how much he suffered.  Begin with praying the Prayer of Offering and Precious Offering.  You can then either meditate on his sufferings and pray other prayers while offering your love to him to console his wounded heart or simply be in His presence in silence.  Finally, you may want to present to Our Lord a small sacrifice such as refraining from a curious glance, holding back a sharp word, overcoming a bad-tempered gesture, etc.

End the Hour by reciting Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and the intentions of the Holy Father.

2. Scenario 2:  You are at home.  Your Chosen Hour has arrived and you want to pray your Morning Prayer. 

Kneeling or standing up, mentally place yourself at the foot of the Cross in Calvary or in front of the Blessed Sacrament, make the Sign of the Cross and go in spirit with your angel to the foot of the Cross at Calvary or the Tabernacle.   Humbly prostrate yourself, in spirit and heart before Jesus, and recite the Prayer of Offering and the Precious Offering.    Then, start your Morning Prayer; every now and then remember mentally, that you are standing guard at the Tabernacle or at the Cross, look at the Heart of Jesus, so gentle and so loving and so abandoned!  Love Him tenderly while reciting your Morning Prayer and other prayers.  

Finally, present to Our Lord a small sacrifice such as refraining from a curious glance, holding back a sharp word, overcoming a bad-tempered gesture, etc.

End the Hour of Presence by reciting Our Father and Hail Mary and the intentions of our Holy Father the Pope.

3. Scenario 3:  You are cleaning your house.  

If you happen to be cleaning the house or doing something else, when the Hour of Guarding strikes, make the sign of the Cross and mentally place yourself at the foot of the Cross at Calvary or the Tabernacle.  Recite the Prayer of Offering and the Precious Offering and offer your work (eg. Cleaning the house) with the intention of doing it well as a love of offering to Jesus to console His heart and in reparation for the sins committed against His Sacred Heart and then continue with your cleaning.  While cleaning always think of the love and sacrifice Jesus had endured on the cross and console His Heart for the offences committed against Him.  Do this until the Hour is finished….

Then end the Hour of Presence by reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and the Intentions of our Holy Father, the Pope.

SOME QUESTIONS ASKED 

QUESTION:      Must the Hour of Guard be spent in church? Is it an Hour of Adoration?” 

ANSWER:         The answer is NO. The Hour does not have to be spent in church or even in formal, vocal prayer. 

The Hour of Guard does not consist of spending an hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. It consists rather in living the hour chosen from one’s day, without making any change to one’s usual occupations – be they familial, professional or other – with a KEENER awareness of the presence of God. During this hour, the Associate offers everything he or she does, everything he or she is, in a spirit of praise and reparation. 

As you know, when you choose your Hour of Guard, you choose to offer to the Lord whatever you do, say, think or pray during that Hour with the intention of consoling Him. If you are in church or Adoration at that time, that is wonderful. If you are at home, work or school, that is also wonderful, provided you are living your Hour with the firm intention of consoling His Heart, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. 

QUESTION:     Is it a sin if you fail to do your hour?

ANSWER:        It is not a SIN if you remember a few minutes late or even if you forget it, but we want Our Lord to be intentionally consoled every hour of the day, so it is important to be faithful to the practice. 

QUESTION:    Why do I need to offer an hour? Why is this different from the ordinary morning offering to the Sacred Heart? 

ANSWER:     The specific intention of the Hour of Guard is to comfort the Heart of Jesus. The reason we offer our ordinary actions for His consolation during this Hour is to emphasize that Jesus, as our True Friend, cares about every aspect of our lives, even the most ordinary. The smallest and simplest actions, when done with our whole heart, please Him. The practice of the Hour of Guard makes this reality present to our minds and helps us to grow in true friendship with Jesus. This comforts Him. 

Also remember that Jesus is truly present with us when we put ourselves in His presence. This is because in Jesus there is no past, present or future in His time – everything is in the present. So, when our hour strikes and we place ourselves in front of the Tabernacle or at the foot of the Cross in spirit, Jesus is truly present with us. During the hour, we remain united with Him under his gaze. 

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MEMBER?

To become a member, you must: 

• be properly registered at an official center.  One can REGISTER THROUGH the Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Vancouver (see website “guardofhonor-vancouver.ca”). 

• faithfully keep the Hour of Guard that one has chosen (nothing obliges under pain of sin).   

Once registered, a Confirmation Letter or Email will be sent to you.  Ultimately, an admission card and a medallion will be sent to the applicant as proof of membership.  However, one may start the Guard of Honour Hour as soon as you submit your registration particulars.  

Through this devotion, we are going to relate to Jesus in a new way.  We are going to extend Holy Communion and our reception of the Eucharist into the activities of our day.  It is a way to grow in awareness of our Lord and to make our Lord a part and parcel of our daily life.  It becomes our “way of life”.  

Many people in the world have lost the need for God.  It seems our world is becoming atheistic.   Mankind has all the more offended the Lord’s Sacred Heart.  This is why the Guard of Honor is very much needed at this time.  We need people to make sacrifices and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Our Lord Jesus would be so much honoured and pleased to spread this way of life – so simple and yet so edifying and powerful.  This devotion is very much needed at this time of spiritual battle.  

Let us console the heart of Jesus who is already so offended!  

MAY GOD BE PRAISED !