A Mini-Course on the Sacred Heart
A 30-day journey through the heart of Catholic devotion, as taught by Father Hardon.
This June, the Bellarmine Forum invites you on a 30-day journey through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Drawn from the lifetime retreat teaching of Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., these monthly lessons are organized into six thematic sections — from the foundations of the devotion to its practical expression in daily life.
Each section is a standalone page you can explore on its own, or follow in sequence. Each lesson is drawn directly from Fr. Hardon’s own words — the same words he spoke to Jesuit priests, retreatants, and seminarians over four decades of teaching.
Pair with our daily June meditations: These lessons go deeper on the Sacred Heart devotion, while our daily meditations were written to aid daily prayer. Do both — they complement each other perfectly.
Explore the Sections
FOUNDATIONS
What is the Sacred Heart devotion, and why has Pope Pius XII called it an obligation for all Catholics?
INCARNATION & KENOSIS
God emptying Himself for us — the Incarnation as the supreme act of humble love.
THE TWELVE PROMISES
Christ’s twelve conditional promises to all who devote themselves to His Sacred Heart.
THE SACRED HEART & EUCHARIST
“The Sacred Heart IS the Holy Eucharist” — why the two are inseparable.
THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER
“The Apostleship of Prayer is not an organization. It is a spirituality. It is a way of living the devotion to the Sacred Heart in the ordinary circumstances of daily life.”
ST. MARGARET MARY & THE IMMACULATE HEART
The historical roots of the devotion and its inseparable Marian dimension.
About These Lessons
Your author compiled these lessons from Fr. John A. Hardon’s retreat conferences. Fr. Hardon (1914–2000), the one man army of God, was a Jesuit priest, theologian, and author who taught the Catholic faith to thousands of seminarians and priests over four decades.
Fr. Hardon’s teaching is characterized by clarity, precision, and an unwavering commitment to orthodoxy. He did not soften the truths of the faith to make them more palatable. He did not compromise doctrine for the sake of ecumenism. He taught what the Church teaches, and he taught it with conviction.
These lessons are offered for your personal devotion, your family prayer, and your spiritual growth. May they deepen your love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Also from Bellarmine Forum:
- The Sacred Heart: What Love Actually Is — a thematic essay on the devotion to the Sacred Heart
- Daily Saint Meditations — our ongoing series of short daily meditations
