Sacred Heart Daily Meditations

MEDITATIONS ON THE SACRED HEART FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE

June 1st
"Thou Shalt Love!"

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood! We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars. We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Jesus in future I resolve to keep each first Friday of the month as a festival in honor of Thy Sacred Heart. I will invoke Thee with greater confidence, I will communicate with more fervor, and Thou wilt shower down on me Thy most abundant graces and blessings. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, my divine model and teacher, what can I do when I see Thee, the Son of the Eternal Father, full of glory and honor, laden with the cross, walking the awful road to death, especially when thereby Thou showest me the way to salvation without selfishness, but only for my benefit?

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, what can I do but have faith in Thee and return Thy love by at least bearing my trials in patience and humility. And this, particularly, my God, because I have so often experienced the great power that my passions have over me, and how seldom I can withstand the temptations of the world. How hard do I not find it to deny myself the pleasure to mortify my desires and to renounce the false splendor of the world, although I know full well that all these things so easily lead me into sin.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, give me strength to resist my passions and close my eyes to the allurements and charms of the world, help me to imitate Thy poverty, purity and humility, and send me trials with the strength to bear them humbly. Though I fear them, they are necessary for me. But I wish to follow Thee and become like Thee. Therefore, permit me to drink all of Thy chalice of suffering. Heart of Jesus, burning for love of me, inflame my heart with love for Thee. Amen

To Love is Tough!
It's hard to love. These days it doesn't seem to come naturally any more—if it ever did. One act of perfect love of God can wipe away all the guilt and debt of temporal punishment due to sin—no matter how much one has sinned! Yet that act of perfect love, though not impossible, is not easy. We love the persons, places and things of this world more than we love God—or at least our love for them is more vehement than is our love of God. As Our Lord warned us, towards the End Times, evil would be so rampant that charity would grow cold.

Spiritual Cardiac Arrest
We have all, more or less, become spiritual cardiacs, our every move is conditioned by the dread possibility of imminent spiritual heart failure. Loving in the face of the malice, that confronts us at every turn, is such uphill work, so great a strain, only the force and power of a divine command, driving us from behind, could keep us at it. Reason alone would tell us to relax. Lots of us have, and that hasn't helped our environment, nor our spiritual life!

"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4‑5).

Thou Shalt Love!
To refuse to love, is to disobey God. Thou shalt love—or else. The Crisis of Faith in our thinking today, manifests itself as a Crisis of Love in our wills. Not believing, we can't love; not loving, we stop believing. All God's lesser commandments depend on His command to love. To disobey it, disqualifies us for all other tests, whereas obeying it, automatically leads us to do everything God wants us to do, and to avoid everything He doesn't want us to do. It eliminates all quibbling and arguing, it dispels all minor confusions and hesitations. It makes life rough, but exceedingly meaningful and, ultimately, very rewarding.

Tempted to Give Up!
The vast majority of us give up. "For the Lord tries you, that it may appear whether you love Him with all your heart, and with all your soul—or not" (Deuteronomy 13:3). For those who don't give up, suddenly everything is relevant. If we persist in trying to love God, we find that idleness and boredom are luxuries we can't afford. There isn't time.

Whoever says loving is easy either lies or hasn't tried it, or both. It's the most difficult achievement that man in his fallen state, after Original Sin, could possibly tackle, yet his eternal life and salvation depends on it. It's so difficult God Himself had to come down eventually and show us how to love, because we hadn't the heart for it. As things developed, He had to give us that too. And that wasn't easy for Him either.

Hard To Let Oneself Be Loved
If loving is hard, allowing himself to be loved seems to be even harder for modem man. He finds it almost impossible to believe he is loved, that anybody really wants him. This requires Faith, he discovers. His receiving mechanisms are so deranged, that he cannot humbly and gratefully accept the free gift of love even when it is offered. Psychiatrists' offices are filled with people, who sincerely feel themselves so rejected—even when they are not—they can no longer function as healthy human beings.

Your Just a ....!
Who can blame them? From the cradle we're told we're a nuisance, a pest, trouble, a pain-in-the-neck: some of us by our very mothers, who look upon our birth as little more than an obstacle to self‑fulfillment in a brave new world. Others have fathers who resent having to support them. Nursery schools and academia are thronged with young outcasts. If current statistics are to be believed, more children are conceived out of wedlock than in marriage—and of those conceived out of wedlock, many never see the light of day, because they are aborted. There is modern man’s love for you!

Lucky to be Born
Even so, there are some lucky ones, who are conceived and born despite the dangers that threatened them and have successfully run the gauntlet of contraceptive traps, slaps, loops, jellies, misinformation and propaganda. Somehow they were spared the ministrations of assorted vasectomists, abortionists, zero population planners, programmed gynecologists and fetal researchers who had (like God) only one message to deliver, but in reverse: "We don't want you. Maybe a few selected others, but not you."

They are quite specific in any given case. It's personal, and we take it personally. Not only we don't want you, we are told, but ideally, we don't want you even to be, not for one moment. Abortions are messy. Contraception is the real answer, because we don't want you to have life at all. WE HATE YOU! And we hate irresponsible people who clutter the world with you.

Obstacle Course
Whoever manages to be born and reaches maturity, must then face other tests. They must survive child engineering of all descriptions, perverted history texts and scientism, impure sex education, volleys of adult literature and art, mutilated worship—and already, in dark comers, sterilization of the unfit and euthanasia, all implemented by the technological craft harnessed to the goals of the concentration camp.

Most Destined to Be Killed
If the plans of the New World Order people are to be believed, then abortion is not good enough for controlling the population numbers—they now want to drastically reduce the world population, with as many as 11-out-of-12 people being eliminated! There is modern man’s love for you! Even Our Lady's prophecies speak of the vast majority of people being killed! Are you the holder of the lucky lottery ticket that will make you the lucky one out of twelve? Probably not! But then Heaven is a nicer place to live than Earth, even if it means sitting in the lobby of Purgatory until a room becomes available!

God is Love ... But There is No God!
That our neighbor doesn't love us, is only too evident in the vast majority of our human encounters, but this is the lesser blow to our hearts. There are crazed philosophers who labor to acquaint us with what, down deep, we are bitterly tempted to suspect: that God doesn't want us either! Could a God, Who loves us, make us live in such a world? He must hate us!

That's silly, they tell us. How could God hate you? God is dead! Whether He loves us or not is academic, because He doesn't exist, and never did. He was invented by us, you idiots. He is us. Why don't you grow up and admit it? Be mature. Stand on your own feet for a change.

Only God Can Help
Only God could help at a time like this. Only He can tell us He is alive and loves us, because at this point in history we don't dare believe anyone else. We have been so fed on lies, so betrayed by those responsible for us, no one less than God could restore our Faith, not only in Him but faith and confidence in ourselves. Our trust in man is gone. The credibility gap devours everything he tells us. He's too treacherous, too unreliable. We're exhorted on all sides to "open ourselves to one another in mutual trust," but we who have been betrayed know better. We are "closed" and wary. We wouldn't trust our own grandmothers, in some cases with very good reason.

You Will Be Hated by the World
Well, let's not feel guilty about it. While on earth, God himself reached the same conclusion, and said so: "Beware of men," He told His disciples. "For they will deliver you up in councils (parish? national? ecumenical?), and they will scourge you in their synagogues ... Brother shall deliver brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents and shall put them to death" (Matthew 10:17, 21). "You shall be hated by all men for My Name's sake" (Matthew 10:22).

Like us, God has been rejected. When He was born as man, there was no room for Him at the inn in Bethlehem, and, in His maturity, He was rejected in His own temple in Jerusalem, eventually put to death outside its walls. Before that had come a time when He could no longer walk openly among His own people (John 11:54). Often He had to hide, as He does even now. He "wouldn't trust Himself to them, because He knew what was in man" (John 2:23‑25). He told us plainly, "One is good: God" (Matthew 19:17).

Trust in God, Follow God!
In the final analysis the only man who can be trusted is in fact God, and He must be trusted and believed in utterly. "You believe in God, believe also in Me ... And where I go you know, and the way you know" (John 14:1-4). "Follow Me!" (Matthew 16:24).

Patiently He explained the outrageous task that lay before us, how all the while never trusting man, we must nevertheless love him—to the point of laying down our life for him. All the while being wise as serpents, we must be innocent as doves, prepared to forgive him seventy times seven times for what he does to us, will continue to do to us, and will do to us ever more viciously the more perfectly we follow Christ. What's hard about liking people who like us? As He himself noted, that's easy.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," as well as you can.

Love is Not in Feelings
Or, as someone else cynically put it, you shall love your crooked neighbor with your crooked heart. Whether we like it or not, "On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37‑40). Luckily, love isn't a function of the feelings, for God never commands the impossible. Love is an operation of the will, directed by the intellect. The feelings can go along or not as they please. If they do, so much the better; if not, too bad for them, not us. Wanting to love, doing the works of love is to love.

In order to show us exactly how this is done in real life, God led us personally, step by step, from Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth, to Calvary and to Heaven. "Learn of Me," He said, "because I am meek and humble of heart" (Matthew 11:29). "As I have loved you, you also love one another" (John 13:34).

This, knowing what we do about Calvary and all that led up to it, is preposterous! Especially for people with heart conditions! You'd have to have the heart of God to do that sort of thing, really to do it.

And that's the heart of the matter.

We Need a New Heart!
That's why He promised us centuries ago, through His prophet Ezechiel, that in the last days He would replace our calcified hearts with a heart of flesh, in order to love so impossibly. He knew we didn't have the heart for it, that we would have to have a brand new one:

"And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezechiel 36:26).

June 2nd
"Heart Functioning? Need A Transplant?"

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Most sweet Jesus, redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be! But to be more surely united with Thee, behold, each one of us freely consecrates himself, today, to Thy most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee. Many, too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart.

Be Thou king, O Lord, not only of the faithful, who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee. Grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; and call them back to the harbor of truth and the unity of Faith so that soon there may be but one flock and one shepherd.

Grant O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm. Give peace and order to all nations and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Jesus! O incomprehensible love! Since Thou art so good as to dwell amongst us, I now resolve to visit Thee frequently in the Holy Eucharist. Shower clown Thy graces upon me during the happy moments of conversation with Thee. My poor heart needs rest, and this rest may be found in Thee even here below, whilst we wait to possess it in all its plenitude in our heavenly home. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Heart of my beloved Jesus! The refuge opened for me by the lance, and where I need no more fear either divine vengeance or the fury of Hell; permit me to hide myself in Thee, and there forget the world and myself; there let me rest after the weary toils of life, and there let me lose myself for time and eternity. Amen.

IF JESUS CAME
TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.

Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you'd serve Him would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there,
That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.

But, when you saw Him coming would you meet Him at the door,
Or pretend you weren’t at home, by lying low on the floor?

Would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in.
Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they'd been?

Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard,
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, nasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder, if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep its usual pace,
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?

Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go,
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,
Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.

Heart and Health
Those with a dying heart, often have a last attempt at life with a “heart transplant.” Of course, man’s version of a “heart transplant” is immoral and tantamount to murder—“With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). God can give you a “heart transplant”—for He Himself says: “And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh” (Ezechiel 36:26).

The heart is at the heart of our well-being and existence. If the heart is weak, then that weakness will eventually extend itself to our entire being, directly or indirectly. Even our intellectual life will suffer indirectly, as the heart pumps blood to brain, and the brain needs much oxygen to function well, and that oxygen is carried by the blood the heart is supposed to pump.

The same is true of our spiritual life. If our ‘spiritual’ heart is healthy, then the healthier will be our entire spiritual life. "Soundness of heart is the life of the flesh” (Proverbs 14:30). That healthy heart refers to the love in our 'heart'. This is also the key element in the apparitions and messages of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Love is the Health of the Heart
The heart of our spiritual life is love. Love is and has to be the soul of all that we do. “Let all your things be done in charity” (1 Corinthians 16:14). “If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Therefore, once again: “Let all your things be done in charity” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

God is Love
God Himself is Charity, He is Charity Itself: “God is charity” (1 John 4:8). This charity God has shown to a world that has not deserved or merited it—it is not as though we had something first, that necessitated God to repay us for the favor. “Who hath first given to Him, and recompense shall be made him?” (Romans 11:35). In fact, the world, by its sins, was more deserving of punishment and damnation than it was deserving of God’s charity! Yet that did not extinguish the charity of God.

Who Loved First?
“For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting” (John 3:16). “God, Who is rich in mercy, for His exceeding charity wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace you are saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). “In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). “In this we have known the charity of God, because He hath laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16). “Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us” (1 John 4:19). “This only take care of with all diligence, that you love the Lord your God” (Josue 23:11). “That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity” (Ephesians 3:17). “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us” (Romans 5:5).  “Follow after charity” (1 Corinthians 14:1). “For the charity of Christ presseth us” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Heart Failure
Yet despite this great and undeserved love of God, we have failed, on the whole, to fully appreciate and return that love. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that love is reciprocal—it is not just “give”; it is not just “take”; but it is a case of “give and take.” St. Augustine says (De Catech. Rud. iv): “Nothing will incite another more to love you, than that you love him first: for he must have a hard heart, indeed, who not only refuses to love, but declines to return love already given.”  Yet this is precisely our guilt, as Our Lord would say to St. Margaret Mary:

“My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for men, and for you in particular that, being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning Charity, It must needs spread them abroad by your means, and manifest Itself to them (mankind) in order to enrich them with the precious graces of sanctification and salvation necessary to withdraw them from the abyss of perdition.

“Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus.”

Heart Full of Junk
If we eat certain wrong foods, they will eventually provoke heart failure and a heart attack. The following quote is from the American Heart Association (AHA) or should that be Aha!

“Added sugar was not a significant component of the human diet until the advent of modern food-processing methods. Since then, the intake of sugar has risen steadily. The average US sugar utilization per capita on the basis of food disappearance data was 120 lbs per year in 1970, and it reached 150 lbs per year in 1995 (almost half-a-pound per day)… Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories. To improve the overall nutrient density of the diet and to help reduce the intake of excess calories, individuals should be sure foods high in added sugar are not displacing foods with essential nutrients or increasing calorie intake.” Their studies and research go on to irrefutably link a high sugar intake with cardio-vascular disease.

The World Serves Junk for the Soul
Similarly, if we replace the good ‘spiritual food’ that our ‘spiritual’ hearts were made for, with the highly sweetened junk ‘food’ offered by the world, we will eventually suffer a ‘spiritual-cardiac-arrest’! By highly sweetened junk food we mean the pleasures, amusements, distractions and fun that world offers, which is meant to displace the spirit of mortification and sacrifice that Heaven wants us to feed our souls upon.

Holy Scripture tells us this: “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “The charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him” (1 John 4:9).  “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).

Good Daily Food
This charity we can find daily in Holy Communion, through which “God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him.” But, sadly, He is not wanted nor received in Holy Communion--“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” Instead, souls seek out and stuff themselves upon the vanities of the world—the word “vanity” comes from the Latin word “vanus” which means “empty, fruitless, futile, idle, ineffectual, useless, vain.” Holy Scripture asks us the question: “Why do you love vanity” (Psalm 4:3). The Imitation of Christ, adds:

“For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone. This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the Kingdom of Heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.” (Imitation of Christ, Book 1, chapter 1).

Change of Heart Needed
“O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge?” (Proverbs 1:22). ”No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). “Know the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek Him, thou shalt find Him: but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever” (1 Paralipomenon 28:9).

Many “are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, they run after rewards” (Isaias 1:23). “There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale” (Ecclesiasticus 10:10). “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” (Mark 8:36). “He that received the seed (the word of God) among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless” (Matthew 13:22). “For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). “Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked” (Psalm 36:16). “Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world they have obtained riches” (Psalm 72:12). “If riches abound, set not your heart upon them” (Psalm 61:11).

Other Pleasures Causing Spiritual Cardiac-Arrest
“Challenge not them that love wine: for wine hath destroyed very many” (Ecclesiasticus 31:30). “And when the sons of Babylon were come to her to the bed of love, they defiled her with their fornications, and she was polluted by them, and her soul was glutted with them” (Ezechiel 23:17). “But as for them whose heart walketh after their scandals and abominations, I will lay their way upon their head, saith the Lord God” (Ezechiel 11:21). “Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves” (Romans 1:24). “And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold” (Matthew 24:12).

A New Heart
“But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity” (Apocalypse 2:4). “Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart” (Ecclesiasticus 7:5). “The imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). “Who can say: ‘My heart is clean, I am pure from sin!’?” (Proverbs 20:9). “Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance, and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance” (Apocalypse 2:4-5). “Return to the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 30:10). “Not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but, as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6). “Covet ye therefore my words, and love them, and you shall have instruction” (Wisdom 6:12).

“Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels” (Psalm 50:12). “And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh” (Ezechiel 36:26). “God hath softened my heart, and the Almighty hath troubled me” (Job 23:16). “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 50:19). “God gave unto him another heart” (1 Kings 10:9).

Let us take the words of God to heart! Let us beg Him to give us new heart! Let us admit that our present hearts are more often than not like stone, cold and hard! He who can change bread into His Flesh, can also change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Ask, and you shall receive!

June 3rd
"A Heart to Eat!"

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O, Queen of Heaven, My most loving Mother, I (name) though full of weakness and quite unworthy, yet encouraged by the gracious invitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, desire to consecrate myself entirely to Him. Conscious of my own unworthiness and inconstancy, I desire to offer everything through thy maternal hands, and with childlike trust in thy loving care, I look to thee to assist me in the fulfillment of my resolutions.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of love and goodness, full of recognition for Thy Favors, freely and with all my heart, do I accept this pact between Thee and me. I shall care for Thy interests, and Thou will care for mine. I wish everything of mine to be Thine and place everything in Thy hands: my soul, my eternal salvation, my freedom, my interior progress, my wants, my body, my life and my health. I place in Thy hands the small number of good works I am able to perform, or which others will offer for me during my life, or after my death, if I can be of service to Thee.

I also place in Thy hands my family, my possessions, my work, that you may be King of everything that is mine and may dispose of them according to Thy pleasure. I for my part will do my best in all these affairs, but I shall rest contented with whatever Thy loving Heart decided in my behalf—difficult though it may be.

In return, I ask that that the time still left to me not be wasted. I desire to do something important and useful that Thou may reign in the world: By my prayer and aspirations, by my daily tasks, by the suffering which I accept here and now, by my little acts of self-denial. I desire that every moment of my life be spent in promoting and establishing Thy divine Kingdom. May Thy seal be on everything I do until the end of my allotted time, and then may my last breath be spent in words of love of Thy most Sacred Heart.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O my God I how much does my indifference terrify me, and my lukewarmness afflict me. Alas how often have I not forgotten to eat the Bread of Life! How many Holy Communions have I not missed through my own fault! Divine Jesus, grant me a great hunger and thirst for thy sacred Body and Blood; I will in future communicate as often as I am allowed, and every day if I am able. Amen.

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O, Queen of Heaven, My most loving Mother, I (name) though full of weakness and quite unworthy, yet encouraged by the gracious invitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, desire to consecrate myself entirely to Him. Conscious of my own unworthiness and inconstancy,

I desire to offer everything through thy maternal hands, and with childlike trust in thy loving care, I look to thee to assist me in the fulfillment of my resolutions.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of love and goodness, full of recognition for Thy Favors, freely and with all my heart, do I accept this pact between Thee and me. I shall care for Thy interests, and Thou will care for mine.

I wish everything of mine to be Thine and place everything in Thy hands: my soul, my eternal salvation, my freedom, my interior progress, my wants, my body, my life and my health. I place in Thy hands the small number of good works I am able to perform, or which others will offer for me during my life, or after my death, if I can be of service to Thee.

I also place in Thy hands my family, my possessions, my work, that you may be King of everything that is mine and may dispose of them according to Thy pleasure. I for my part will do my best in all these affairs, but I shall rest contented with whatever Thy loving Heart decided in my behalf—difficult though it may be.

In return, I ask that that the time still left to me not be wasted. I desire to do something important and useful that Thou may reign in the world: By my prayer and aspirations, by my daily tasks, by the suffering which I accept here and now, by my little acts of self-denial.

I desire that every moment of my life be spent in promoting and establishing Thy divine Kingdom. May Thy seal be on everything I do until the end of my allotted time, and then may my last breath be spent in words of love of Thy most Sacred Heart.

The Host and the Heart
What most people do not realize, and what cannot be stressed too much, is the integral connection between devotion to the Holy Eucharist with devotion to the Sacred Heart. The two devotions can, in a certain sense, be said to be one and the same devotion. This is especially true is we read the account the Miracle of Lanciano, where scientific studies, over 1,200 years after the initial miracle took place, showed the Eucharistic remains to the inner wall of a human heart!

Our instinctive Catholic sense tells us that this miracle should be enough to convince of the connection of the two devotions! Yet there some who want proof that is based, not on miracles or private revelations, but on solid dogmas of Divine Revelation, with its roots going back to the tradition of the early Apostolic Church.

To what extent does devotion to the Sacred Heart, which in its modern form is only just over three hundred years old, actually rest on that sublime mystery of Eucharistic Love, which Jesus instituted at the Last Supper when He first gave us the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, or the Holy Eucharist, in that very first Mass. The answer to this question will determine in great measure our attitude toward the Sacred Heart, whether we shall consider it just another devotion, based on some private revelations given to a saintly nun in the seventeenth century, or whether we should associate it with an essential doctrine of the Catholic Faith, outside of which there is no salvation.

Connection Between the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart
Pope Pius XI gives us some food for thought, when he writes: "As formerly Divine Goodness wished to exhibit to the human race, as it came from the Ark of Noe, a sign of the renewed covenant between them . . . so in our own troubled times, while that heresy held sway which, is known as Jansenism, the most insidious of all heresies, enemy of the love of God and of filial affection for Him — for this heresy preached that God was not so much to be loved by us as a Father, as to be feared as an unrelenting Judge — the most kind Jesus manifested to the nations His Sacred Heart."

Doom and Gloom of Jansenism
At this point it is well to clarify a bit of Church history. Jansenism was really two heresies in one. On its doctrinal side it denied that Christ died for all men, and therefore pictured God very much as John Calvin, who said that, "not all men are created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal damnation for others." Christ did not die on the Cross, then, to save those whom God has arbitrarily decided should be lost. On its practical side, however, which particularly interests us, Jansenism gave expression to this caricature of the divinity by requiring extraordinary penance of the faithful to placate this God of anger; only after such penance was performed, and the soul became purified of all self love, should anyone dare approach the Holy of Holies in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

One of the disciples of Jansenism, Arnauld, lays down the conditions on which a person may receive Holy Communion. "Since," he argues, "the Eucharist is the same food that is eaten in Heaven, so the purity of the faithful who receive it on earth must necessarily be that of the blessed in Heaven. Consequently the only difference in disposition between those who partake of this food on earth and those who receive it in Heaven, is that the first are still living by Faith while the latter enjoy the vision of God." The author then goes through a list of persons who should be debarred from Holy Communion.

Disastrous Effects
What was the effect of this teaching on the people? It was disastrous. Even in the first period of Jansenism, they were so influenced by its rigorism, that they omitted their Easter duty and refused the Viaticum on their death-bed, because they thought they were not sufficiently detached from creatures. Jansenist priests were never known, or very rarely known, to say Mass; others considered it a matter of principle to reduce reception of the Sacraments to a minimum, so that Catholics were found who had not made their First Communion by the age of thirty. In one of his letters, St. Vincent de Paul describes the situation in Paris where, he says, "We no longer see persons frequenting the Sacraments, not even at Easter, the way they formerly did." Speaking of annual Communions, he reports that "Saint Sulpice has 3,000 less; the parish of Saint Nicholas du Chardonnet, after having visited his families in the parish after Easter, in person and by proxy, told us recently that he discovered 1,500 of his parishioners who had not been to Holy Communion; and the same is true of others." Many people used to receive at least once a month. "But now scarcely anyone can be seen going to Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month and on feast days . . . unless a few at the Jesuit churches."

The Sacred Eucharistic Heart to the Rescue
It was at the height of this heresy that St. Margaret Mary was favored with the apparitions of Our Lord at Paray-le-Monial. This fact alone would make us look for some connection between the two events. If not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the knowledge of God, there must be more than coincidence in the revelations of the Sacred Heart taking place, in the same country, and at the same time that a heresy was rampant, which threatened to remove the Blessed Sacrament from the lives of the faithful. However we do not have to speculate on the subject, because all the evidence in the life of St. Margaret Mary proves that the Holy Eucharist is an essential element in the devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Revelations Of The Sacred Heart And The Holy Eucharist
There were, all told, perhaps forty mystical experiences of which we have some record in the life of St. Margaret Mary. Yet only three of these are properly called revelations in the technical sense, during which Our Lord appeared to the saint as the Sacred Heart, and communicated to her some message that she was to transmit to others. These three are known as the "Great Apparitions," and took place in a period of less than two years, specifically between December 27, 1673 and June 16, 1675. Let us briefly quote the circumstances under which each revelation began, as described by the saint herself.

Regarding the first apparition, on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, she says: "One day, when I was before the Blessed Sacrament, and having at the time more leisure than usual, I felt myself wholly invested with the presence of God."

The second apparition probably occurred early in the following year, and its beginning is described as follows in the Autobiography: "On one occasion, while the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, feeling wholly withdrawn within myself by an extraordinary recollection of all my senses and powers, Jesus Christ, my sweet Master, presented Himself to me, all resplendent with glory, His five wounds shining like so many suns."

Narrating the third apparition, she begins: "Being before the Blessed Sacrament one day of its octave, I received from my God signal tokens of His love, and I felt urged with the desire of making Him some return, and of rendering Him love for love."

The Sacred Heart Appears at Eucharistic Times
In every instance, therefore, the revelations of the Sacred Heart took place before the Blessed Sacrament; the first two when the monstrance was exposed on the altar, the third while St. Claude de la Colombiere was offering Mass and St. Margaret Mary was approaching the grille to receive Holy Communion from his hands.

More than just the setting, however, the substance of the revelations is clearly Eucharistic, as may be seen from the authentic memoirs and letters of St. Margaret Mary. Fortunately, we need not examine all her writings to arrive at this conclusion, because an easier method is available. After the death of St. Claude Colombiere, the man chosen by Christ Himself to promote the devotion to the Sacred Heart, was Fr. John Croiset, professor at the Jesuit College in Lyons, France. Fr. Croiset became the fellow worker of the saint. Her extant correspondence with him covers ten letters, which she wrote during the last eighteen months of her life, when the revelations of the Sacred Heart were completed. On these letters is based the first book ever written on devotion to the Sacred Heart in its modern form.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is Devotion to the Eucharist
To avoid obvious complications, Fr. Croiset held up the book until after the death of St. Margaret Mary; he published the volume at Lyons in 1691. Entitled, The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, it was written at the request of Our Savior in a message conveyed to Father Croiset by St. Margaret Mary. In asking him to write the book she assured him in the name of the Sacred Heart that he would receive special assistance in its composition, and when it was almost finished she wrote to tell him that the work was so entirely in accord with the wishes of Our Lord it would never have to be revised. Subsequent history has vindicated this promise. Even now, after the lapse of more than three centuries, during which time countless volumes have appeared on the subject, it still remains the most practical source book on the devotion to the Sacred Heart.

In the opening paragraph of the first chapter, in answer to the question: "What do we mean by devotion to the Sacred Heart," we are told by Fr. Croiset:

"The particular object of this devotion is the immense love of the Son of God which induced Him to deliver Himself up to death for us and to give Himself entirely to us in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The thought of all the ingratitude and all the outrages, which He has to receive in this state of immolated victim until the end of time did not prevent Him from operating this prodigy. He preferred to expose Himself each day to the insults and opprobrium of men rather than be prevented from testifying by working the greatest of all miracles to what excess He loved us."

Reflection on this immense love of God, manifested in the Incarnation and perpetuated in the Eucharist, has evoked corresponding sentiments of love in the souls of the faithful;

"For when they consider how little the world is moved by this excess of love, how little men love Jesus Christ in return, and how little pains they take to be loved by Him, His faithful friends have not been able to endure seeing him treated with such contempt day after day. They have endeavored to show their just sorrow at such treatment and, by their ardent love, their profound respect. They have also sought by special acts of homage to testify their great desire to make reparation to the utmost of their capacity for this ingratitude and contempt."

Granting, therefore, that the principal motive of this devotion is the Incarnate, Eucharistic love of God, and its proper ends are to make a return of this love by acts of adoration, gratitude and reparation, why should the concentration or focus be on the physical Heart of Christ? The reason lies in the limitations of our composite human nature, which is made up of body and soul:

"Just as in the case of even the most spiritual devotions, we have always need of material and sensible objects which appeal to our human nature, act on the imagination and memory and facilitate the practice, so in the case of this devotion, the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been chosen as the sensible object most worthy of our veneration, and at the same time most proper for the end proposed by this devotion."

This correlation is perfectly natural once we realize that, on the one hand, "the heart of man is both the source and the seat of love," while, on the other, "properly understood, this devotion is nothing else than an exercise of love. Love is its object, love its motive and principle, and love is also its end."

June 4th
Take Heart! He Loves You!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Divine Heart of Jesus, I wish to love and serve Thee fervently and generously, but, alas, my fervor and piety quickly die away, and I remain without love or zeal. Oh how many of my days have been spent in lukewarmness and tepidity! Generous Heart of Jesus, be my strength and support, and grant that in future I may always labor for my salvation with energy, courage and perseverance. Amen

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Divine Heart of Jesus, I bless and thank Thee for all the favors that Thou hast bestowed on me, notwithstanding my unfaithfulness to grace. I thank Thee also for all that Thou hast granted to my relatives, friends and benefactors. I offer Thee in return the thanksgivings of all fervent souls, those of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, and with Thy prophet I will never cease to say: “Give praise to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.” Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee.

Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body; assistance in my temporal needs; place Thy blessing on all that I do; and grant me the grace of a holy death

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Lord Jesus Christ, to Thy most Sacred Heart I confide this intention (name petition}.

Only look upon me, then do what Thy love inspires. Let Thy Sacred Heart decide.

I count on Thee. I trust in Thee. I throw myself on Thy mercy. Lord Jesus, Thou will not fail me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked Thee for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Thy open Heart. When the Eternal Father looks upon it, He will see it covered with Thy Precious Blood. It will be no longer my prayer, but Thine, Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee. Let me not be disappointed. Amen.

Two Extremes
If there is one problem that hits most besieges most souls it is their attitude to the mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Some are very presumptuous in heart, thinking that they can sin as much as they want and forgiveness will be automatically given; others tend to lose heart, thinking themselves unworthy of His mercy.

You Must Open the Door to Mercy
Jesus expresses His intimate desire to enter into the temple of our heart, but for Him to be able to enter we first must open the door of our heart to His Divine Love. Jesus gently knocks at our door and awaits our response, reassuring us not to be afraid but rather to trust always in Him. Only in opening our hearts to Him may we plunge into the depths of the flows of love and mercy that emanate from Jesus' Sacred Heart.

Pierced Heart of Mercy
Since the fourth century, Saint Augustine has taught the Christian Faithful that the Living Water pouring eternally forth from the Heart of Jesus is none other than the birth waters of the Church in the Sacrament of Baptism. The Church is born precisely at the moment that the Roman soldier's lance pierces open the Sacred Heart of our Lord. The cleansing waters of Baptism, alongside the passionately loving water of the Most Holy Eucharist, flow sacramentally from the Heart of Christ to water the souls of the People of God, bringing us to realize the steadfast and saving hope found only in a personal encounter and relationship with our All-Merciful Lord.

At the same time, Jesus as Eternal Son of God actively permits this piercing so that He may pour forth His Love and Mercy from the Cross transcending all ages, gushing forth the flows of the Holy Spirit as the never ending Source and Fountain of Eternal Life the Son of God Who eternally pours forth His Holy Spirit as Living Water for our thirsty souls to drink.

The Promises of the Sacred Heart
The Twelve Promises which we find in prayerbooks and manuals of the devotion to the Sacred Heart do not contain all the promises made by our Divine Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. They are not even a summary of them, but are rather a selection of those promises best calculated to arouse sentiments of love for Our Lord in the hearts of the faithful and to induce them to practice the devotion. These Twelve Promises are found in the writings of St. Margaret Mary, but not all in one place.

We give here the complete list of the various Promises, as found in Monsignor Gauthey's edition of the writings of St. Margaret Mary, but we do not give the full text. Those who wish to have the full text of the Promises will find it in The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus the Essence of Christianity, pages 48 to 69. But first, we present the basic Twelve Promises without commentary.

Near the conclusion of this section, St. Margaret Mary writes an explanation of how the Nine First Fridays are to be practiced. The Prayer for Daily Neglect, which we post below, was not written by St. Margaret Mary herself, but because it is so invaluable an aid with have included it here as it is a prayer to the Sacred Heart that is to be said daily, thus it can be incorporated into the practice of the Devotion easily, it is short and known to be efficacious.

The mercy of the Sacred Heart is not unconditional, it has certain conditions that must be fulfilled, but the rewards are truly overwhelming.

The nine First Fridays Devotion and the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart made to St. Margaret Mary with added prayer for daily neglect

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. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid (lukewarm) souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour.

This devotion consists in attending Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion in reparation for those who do not receive Our Lord, who do not love Him and who wound Him by their sinful lives. "I promise you, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their Sacraments, My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment" (Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary).

Prayer for Daily Neglects
“Eternal Father, I offer You the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings, and all its merits.
Firstly, to expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end. Amen.
Secondly, to purify the good I have done poorly this day and during all my life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end. Amen.
Thirdly, to supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end. Amen."

Soon after death, a Poor Clare nun appeared to her abbess, who was praying for her, and said: "I went straight to Heaven because I paid all my debts by virtue of this prayer."

Heart to Heart
Let us take heart in the fact that Sacred Heart loves us and has proved His love by pouring-out the Blood of His Sacred Heart for our salvation. He wishes the damnation of no person, no matter how evil, but He expects a change of heart before He will pur out the mercies and graces of His Sacred Heart upon us. Let us not abuse or treat indifferently that Sacred Heart, but let us change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh and given His Heart the love that it craves from us poor sinners!

June 5th
Heart of Mercy!

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

What Am I Adoring?
What exactly are we doing by venerating the Heart of Jesus? We should form an accurate and clear idea of the object and purpose of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, that is to say, of what exactly do we intend to worship in and by this devotion.

Is it just His Heart?
It is obvious that by the homage which we give to the Heart of Jesus, is not just for His Heart alone, but that we intend to honor, and we really do honor, Jesus Himself, the Person of Christ, with all that He is and all that He has. When we pay honor to a portion of the body of a person, we wish to render this homage to the person himself; for instance, when we kiss the hand or ring of a bishop, we intend to address this mark of respect to the bishop himself, and not just his hand or his ring.

We find this principle formulated in St. Thomas (Summa Theologica, III, q. 25, art. 1): “Honor is, properly speaking, rendered to the entire person. Even when we honor the foot or the hand of a person, we do not venerate these parts in themselves, but only by reason of the entire person to whom they belong.”

So it is also with regard to the Heart of Jesus. Pope Leo XIII, in his Encyclical Annum Sacrum (§10), recalls the fact: “All homage of love paid to the Divine Heart is really and properly addressed to Christ Himself.” Hence, the Person of Jesus is the ultimate object of devotion to the Sacred Heart.

He may also be said to be its general object. Indeed, all the devotions which honor one of the mysteries of the Life of our Lord, or some part of His sacred body, have for their common object His Divine Person. When, for instance, we venerate His sacred Wounds, or celebrate His Birth, His Resurrection, His Ascension, it is always the Divine Person of the Word Incarnate who receives the homage of our adoration and love.

We Honor the Person, Not Just the Part
But, although the Person of Jesus is but the ultimate and general object of the devotion, He is nevertheless also its principal object: for, by the homage which we pay to some part or to some quality of a person, it is his whole person whom we aim at, and whom we want to honor. The homage paid to the part or the quality is but the means; to give honor or homage to the person is its end or goal.

We Adore His Love and Mercy
But the question is: “What distinguishes devotion to the Sacred Heart from all other devotions which have Jesus for their common object? What is its special and direct object?” Our Lord Himself indicated this in His apparitions to St. Margaret Mary, especially in the fourth, called the “Great Apparition”. To what did He draw attention in the first place? To the Heart that beats in His breast: “Discovering to me His Heart, He said to me: ‘Behold this Heart ...’” And what did He declare concerning this Heart? That It ineffably loves us and is sensible to the manner in which men repay Its love: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men. ... And in return I receive from the greater part of them nothing but ingratitude." And what did He demand for this Heart? "Therefore I ask of you that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be dedicated to a special feast in honor of My Heart."

From this it appears that the special object of the devotion asked for by Our Lord is His Heart: His Heart which loves us and complains of the neglect of Its love. It is in this way that most people understand the devotion; what they wish to honor is the Heart of Jesus, and this because It loves us and because Its love is despised.

God is Love
St. John tells us that God is love: “God is charity” (1 John 4:8). The heart is also a symbol of love—we see it widely used as such in our present day images, where the heart replaces the word “love” in slogans and bumper stickers! That the two—the word and the image—be united is something that even stems from Holy Scripture: “From a sincere heart love one another” (1 Peter 1:22), “love Him with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 13:3).

Mercy Stands With Love
Love is the pinnacle of all virtues--“the greatest of these is Charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13) —and as such it deserves to be honored above all the others. Therefore, in Our Lord, we honor and adore His Sacred Heart which is the seat of His love for mankind. Mercy is a property or a child of love. St. Thomas Aquinas deals of Mercy under his section on Charity. As Psalm 144 says: “The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 144:8-9). The Sacred Heart is all about those two pinnacles within God—His Love and His Mercy.

God's Mercies Are Above All His Works
St. Thomas Aquinas says that Mercy is in itself the greatest of virtues, and it is said of God that "His Mercies are above all His works." But, among creatures, Mercy (compassion shown to neighbor) is not so great a virtue as Charity (love shown to God), and, without Charity, Mercy would be wholly ineffective—“if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). However, St. Thomas says that Mercy ranks next to Charity itself, and, of the purely social virtues, Mercy is the greatest.

Our Lady is the Mother of Mercy
If "His Mercies are above all His works", then what of Our Lady? Is she not the masterpiece of God? His greatest work? Yes she is! And that fits it in perfectly with the notion of mercy being the greatest of God's works, for Mary is the Mother of Mercy! To whom shall we go for an assurance of salvation if not to her who, in order to save us, offered both her Only‑Begotten and Herself to the cruel death of the Cross?

“It is not near the Cross,” says St. Bernard, “that Mary is found but on it, nailed to its beams as Jesus is.” she loves us with the same love she has for her Firstborn, and the double‑edged sword that pierced his Heart, opened wide her Heart, that it might be the refuge to sinners to the end of time, and the gate to Heaven for those who hope in her. Her love embraces every child of Adam and there is no power that will snatch a soul from her protecting love.

She was made to be the Mother of Mercy, and her mission, on earth and in Heaven, is not to judge, but to show mercy and to open her pierced Heart wider and wider to the poor banished children of Eve, who cry to her for help. The Eternal Father made her “full of grace,” that her love might bestow it where justice would deny it. As St. Bernard says: “She is impetuous in mercy, she is resistless in mercy. The duration of her mercy is unto the end of the sinner’s life. The broadness of her mercy is unto the limits of the earth. The height of her mercy is unto Heaven. The depth of her mercy is unto the lowest abyss of sin and sorrow--she is always merciful, she is only merciful. she is our Mother of Mercy.”

June 6th
Can You Believe It?!

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by my Ingratitude, pierced by my sins, yet loving me still; accept the consecration that I make to Thee of all that I am and all that I have. Take every faculty of my soul and body and draw me, day by day, nearer and nearer to Thy Sacred Heart, and there, as I can understand the lesson, teach me Thy blessed ways. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Heart of Jesus! Heart infinitely amiable, and infinitely holy! To what else shall we devote our lives, if not to making Thee known? To love Thee, Lord, is not enough for us; we wish to make others love Thee. We would love to possess all hearts, so that we might place them in Thine. Give us the zeal of apostles that proclaiming Thy mercies, we may save souls redeemed at the price of Thy blood. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body; assistance in my temporal needs; place Thy blessing on all that I do; and grant me the grace of a holy death

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Find Time—Make Time—Take Time
We hope that you are making some time to read through some of the wonderful ‘Faith-strengthening’ Eucharistic miracles that God has allowed to happen throughout the world in all centuries. Through such wondrous signs God calls souls to belief and conversion.

There are increasing numbers of Catholics who are refusing to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Many think of the Eucharist as a mere symbol of Christ, and look upon the Mass as a mere commemoration of the Last Supper, and not the Sacrifice that it really and truly is! What an offense this must be to Our Lord! If already, in the more believing day of St. Margaret Mary (in the 1600’s) Our Lord appeared to her and complained about the lack of love and devotion shown to Him—what would He have to say about our times?

Greatest Neglect
The Holy Eucharist is our “Greatest Treasure” and at the same time it is the modern era’s “Greatest Neglect.” It is impossible to identify the Holy Eucharist too closely with Jesus Christ. We should remember He is in the Holy Eucharist not merely with His substance. Some may say: "Transubstantiation means that the substance of bread and wine become the substance of Jesus Christ."

No, it is not just an academic definition or philosophical explanation that is relegated to to the memory banks of our mind—a cerebral thing. Transubstantiation means the substance of bread and wine are no longer there. The substance of bread and wine is replaced not only by the substance of Christ's Body and Blood. What replaces the substance of bread and wine is Jesus Christ! Everything that makes Him Christ, replaces what had been the substance of bread and wine. The substance of bread and wine become the whole Christ—that is what we mean by “Body, Soul, Blood and Divinity”—the whole Christ.

Living Heart
Therefore, Christ in the Holy Eucharist is here with His human heart and His Sacred Heart. Is it a living heart? Yes! This is seen in the Miracles of Lanciano and Buenos Aires. This is also why the revelations Our Lord made to St. Margaret Mary about promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart were all made from the Holy Eucharist.

Why do we equate the Sacred Heart with the Holy Eucharist? Because the Holy Eucharist is the whole Christ with His human heart. According to St. Margaret Mary, the Sacred Heart is the Holy Eucharist. So it follows that devotion to the Sacred Heart is devotion to the Holy Eucharist. It is infinite Love Incarnate living in our midst in the Blessed Sacrament. When we receive the Holy Eucharist, we receive the living Christ—total, entire, living!

If Jesus causes the Host to become what science has identified as a human heart—and especially a muscle of the heart that is responsible for the contraction of a human heart, a heart that suffers like that of someone who has been beaten severely about the chest—if He does such things, it is in order to arouse and enliven our Faith in His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. He thus enables us to see that Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a re-presentation (i.e. a making present once again) of the entire drama of our salvation: namely, Christ’s Passion and Death on Calvary, but now in an unbloody manner in the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Signs-a-Plenty
Jesus says to His disciples: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe” (John 4:48). There is no need to actively seek out wondrous signs. But if Jesus chooses to give them to us, then we ought to accept them with meekness and humility in Faith, seeking to understand what He desires to tell us by them. Thanks to these signs, many people have discovered Faith in God—the One God in the Holy Trinity, Who reveals His Son to us: Jesus Christ, Who abides in the tabernacles of the world, Who workd through the Sacraments and Who teaches us through Holy Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church—the triple cord of our Faith, of which Scripture says: “a threefold cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Miracles Seekers Are Often Blind
We have the “Greatest Treasure” staring us in the face, yet we run around trying to fill our minds and hearts with lesser spiritual treasures. We run after apparitions, we study prophecies, we delight over relics, we travel to holy sites where Our Lady or Our Lord might have appeared once, twice or a few times—but the place where Our Lord appears every day, which is the Altar upon which Mass is said, we often leave neglected and we place it way down in our rankings of holy places and things to see and visit. The Imitation of Christ puts it thus:

“Many people travel far to honor the relics of the saints, marveling at their wonderful deeds and at the building of magnificent shrines. They gaze upon and kiss the sacred relics encased in silk and gold; and behold, You are here present before me on the Altar, my God, Saint of saints, Creator of men, and Lord of angels! Often in looking at such things, men are moved by curiosity, by the novelty of the unseen, and they bear away little fruit for the amendment of their lives, especially when they go from place to place lightly and without true contrition. But here in the Sacrament of the Altar You are wholly present, my God, the man Christ Jesus, whence is obtained the full realization of eternal salvation, as often as You are worthily and devoutly received.”

A Mystery that Surpasses our Understanding
The Holy Eucharist—the actual presence of the risen person of Jesus under the appearances of bread and wine—is one of the most important and most difficult truths, revealed to us by Christ. Eucharistic miracles are merely visible confirmations of what He tells us about Himself; namely, that He really does give us His glorified Body and Blood as spiritual food and drink.

Jesus established the Eucharist on the eve of His Passion and Death. During the Last Supper, “Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to His disciples, and said: ‘Take ye, and eat. This is My Body.’ And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: ‘Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28). When Jesus took and gave the Apostles the bread and wine, He said, “this is My Body….this is My Blood” by which He clearly meant that the bread and wine, which He gave them to eat and drink, really was His Body and Blood, and not some sort of symbol.

Jesus’ Eucharistic Sermon Shocks
Earlier, in the famous Eucharistic sermon recorded by St. John the Evangelist, Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed: and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him’” (John 6:54-57).

Shocked by Jesus’ words, the Jews said, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:53). Many of Jesus’ disciples were also scandalized. “This saying is hard, and who can hear it?” they objected. Knowing that the truth of the Eucharist was a shock and a scandal to many of His listeners, Jesus responded, not by retracting His words, but by raising the stakes: “Doth this scandalize you? The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.” (John 6: 62-63). Many refused to believe Him: “After this many of His disciples went back; and walked no more with Him” (John 6:67).

Jesus Throws Down the Gauntlet
He then throws down the gauntlet of Faith before His Apostles: “Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?” (John 6:68). St. Peter replies for them, and for us, with words of Faith—not understanding but believing nevertheless--“Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known, that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” Here Jesus goes to the heart of the mystery, the “Eucharistic Heart” of the mystery and that “Eucharistic Heart” we still have with us in our tabernacles! But though Jesus is really in the tabernacle, is Faith really in our hearts?

Not all Jesus’ listeners accepted His teaching of the Eucharist. Thus He turned to them, saying, “But there are some of you that believe not.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray Him” (John 6:65). Judas’ betrayal began with his rejection of Jesus’ teaching about His real presence in the Eucharist. In confirmation of this fact, Jesus said, “‘Have not I chosen you Twelve; and one of you is a devil? Now He meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray Him, whereas he was one of the Twelve.” (John 6:71-72).

Lack of Faith Today
How many today have not betrayed their Faith in Christ by refusing to believe in His Real Presence—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—in the Holy Eucharist? How many refuse to believe that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is more than just a commemoration of the Last Supper, but is also, and more importantly, the unbloody re-offering of Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary—in a way, a kind prolongation of that Sacrifice of Calvary through time.

The Eucharist is our Pillar of Faith. It is our strengthener and comfort in these increasingly evil days. The Eucharist is the Risen Jesus Himself in His glorified, and thus invisible, humanity. This is the essence of His teaching of the Eucharist (John 6:62-63). By its death and resurrection, the humanity of Jesus takes on a divine nature; it assumes a new order of existence: “For in Him dwells the whole fullness of the deity, bodily” (Colossians 2:9). In His glorified humanity, the Risen Jesus, becoming omnipresent, gives of Himself in the gift of the Eucharist. He shares with us, not only His life of suffering, but also His resurrected life and divine love, so that we may, even here on earth, experience the reality of Heaven and partake of the life of the Holy Trinity.

Your "Transubstantiation"
He wishes to work a ‘transubstantiation’ of sorts in our minds and hearts—as He changes the Bread and Wine into Himself, so too does He wish to change us Body and Soul into Himself. Like He said to so many people while He walked upon this earth: “Do you believe, that I can do this unto you?” (Matthew 9:28). We have to reply with the leper: “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst!” (Luke 5:11). Confronting the mystery of the Eucharist, human reason feels its impotence and limitations. Yet St. Cyril of Jerusalem exhorts us: “Do not see in the bread and wine merely natural elements, because the Lord has expressly said that they are His Body and His Blood: Faith assures you of this, though your senses suggest otherwise.”

June 7th
A Couple of Gems!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Lord Jesus, pardon the numberless Christians who disown Thy love, refuse to serve Thee, and despise Thy commandments and those of Thy Church. Pardon the unhappy sinners who voluntarily remain in this wretched state, forget their ingratitude and hard-heartedness, open Thy adorable Heart, so that copious streams of grace, mercy, and pardon may flow from It. Amen.

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Little Gems
God gives us little gems that can often pass unnoticed. It is a special grace to be able to find, and an even greater grace to appreciate, and far higher grace to not only find and appreciate, but to also take and use those little gems for our own spiritual benefit and salvation. To what “gems” are we referring to?

The “gems” that we speak of are two books, written well before our time, but clearly intended to grow, to flourish, to ripen and to bear much fruit in our time. One book is probably more far better known than the other—the one we have all heard of is True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. The other book is known, at best, by only a few; but is probably the most authoritative book on its subject—the book is Fr. John Croiset’s The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

What Better Gem?
What book could be more suitable to explain devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus than the one which was written by the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary, Father Croiset; a man specially selected and assisted for the accomplishment of this work at the command of Our Lord Himself, under the direction of Our Lord’s chosen apostle of the devotion, St. Margaret Mary?

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque wrote many times to her director, Father Croiset, at the request of Our Lord, asking him to write a book to make the devotion to the Sacred Heart [which until then had only been practiced by chosen souls as a private devotion] known to the general body of the faithful. In her letter to him of April 14th, 1689, she said: "If you knew the ardent desire which urges me to make the Sacred Heart of my Sovereign known and glorified, you would not refuse to undertake this work. If I am not mistaken, He wishes you to do so."

And on September 15th of the same year she wrote to him: "Your plans for honoring the Divine Heart of Jesus … are most pleasing to Him ... You are happy to be among the number of those whom He will employ for the execution of His designs, as I can have no doubt that He has chosen you for this work; follow the lights which He will give you for the execution of it. I see clearly, and in a way which leaves no doubt, that it is He who has inspired you in this manner with these ideas. He has given me to understand that this manner is so pleasing to Him, that none other, but Himself, could have arranged everything and I believe that He will be very much glorified by it."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is Devotion to the Eucharist
Father Croiset states in his preface that the essence of the devotion to the Sacred Heart consists in the perfect love of Jesus Christ, especially in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on our Altars, and Holy Communion, are, of all spiritual exercises, the best ones to bring us nearer to Jesus Christ, to honor His Sacred Heart, and to inflame our hearts with an ardent love of Him.

When she was aware that Father Croiset had undertaken the work she said to one of the sisters in confidence: "I shall certainly die this year in order not to be an obstacle to the great fruits which my Savior intends to draw from a book on devotion to His Sacred Heart, which Father ‘X’ will get printed as soon as possible."

You Will Have Much to Suffer
In two letters during the last year of her life, while assuring Father Croiset, once again, of special Divine assistance for his work, she warned him of how much he would have to suffer on account of the publication of his book on the Sacred Heart. On January 17th, 1690, she wrote to him: "If I am not mistaken, our amiable Savior seems to promise me that He will furnish you with all the graces and helps necessary, and even that He will supply on His part for all that may be wanting on ours. But all that will not be accomplished without much pain and suffering, which you are to receive as the strongest proofs of His will."

On August 21st of the same year, she wrote to him: "You are surprised at that [some trial he had to endure], but that is nothing; more is to come, for you must be purified like gold in the crucible for the execution of the designs of God. Those designs are truly great; therefore you will have much to suffer from the devil, from creatures and from yourself. But what will appear to you hardest to bear, will be when God will seem to take a share in making you suffer, but you have nothing to fear, for this is the way to show that He loves you ... Once again I pray you not to be downcast on account of all the contradictions, troubles and obstacles which this work, which you have undertaken, will encounter. Consider that He, for Whom you are doing it, being all-powerful, will not allow you to lack any of the helps necessary to accomplish it perfectly according to His desire."

Prophecy Fulfilled
Everything happened as St. Margaret Mary had foretold: she died before the end of the year (1690); her death removed an obstacle to speaking freely about the revelations which she had received, and permitted Father Croiset to include an account of her life and the favors which she had received. The book was published as soon as possible during the year after her death. God was very much glorified by it, for in a short time it was the means of spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart to the ends of the earth. However, it was soon to be a cause of great trouble and suffering to Father Croiset himself, for after being translated into most of the European languages and enjoying an immense circulation for thirteen years, it was put on the Index of Forbidden Books by a Decree of the Congregation of the Index of March 11th, 1704, because the author, even though in good faith, had omitted certain technical theological formalities required for a book dealing with such an important subject.

God Writes [Books] Straight in Crooked Lines
During these thirteen years, other books on the devotion appeared and continued to appear in various languages by distinguished authors; in the course of time several papal encyclicals explaining and advocating the devotion were issued, and Father Croiset's book became forgotten for the space of nearly two hundred years. However, when Divine Providence deemed the moment to be opportune, the book was restored to circulation by the same Congregation of the Index of Forbidden Books that had ordered it to be withdrawn. The letters of St. Margaret Mary make it clear that the book was completely in accordance with the wishes of Our Divine Savior and was published according to His desires, and that the withdrawal from circulation was foretold and permitted for His own wise purposes. Much like the book--True Devotion to Mary—written by St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) who lived at the same time as St. Magaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), both dying at 43 years of age. His book was hidden in a coffer for around 130 years before Divine Providence allowed it to be discovered and published on a large scale.

We can reasonably conclude that the relatively late discovery and re-discovery of one and the other, are a providential sign that in these modern times, these two devotions are of paramount importance for the protection, safety and rebuilding of the Church, which has been ravaged by so many “–isms” of modern days: Liberalism, Modernism, Rationalism, Hedonism, Materialism, Communism, Atheism, etc. The time has come for a restoration of both these key devotions to Jesus and Mary: the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart; the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Rosary; the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel.

June 8th
Listen To Your Papas!

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O, Queen of Heaven, My most loving Mother, I (name) though full of weakness and quite unworthy, yet encouraged by the gracious invitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, desire to consecrate myself entirely to Him. Conscious of my own unworthiness and inconstancy,

I desire to offer everything through thy maternal hands, and with childlike trust in thy loving care, I look to thee to assist me in the fulfillment of my resolutions.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of love and goodness, full of recognition for Thy Favors, freely and with all my heart, do I accept this pact between Thee and me. I shall care for Thy interests, and Thou will care for mine.

I wish everything of mine to be Thine and place everything in Thy hands: my soul, my eternal salvation, my freedom, my interior progress, my wants, my body, my life and my health. I place in Thy hands the small number of good works I am able to perform, or which others will offer for me during my life, or after my death, if I can be of service to Thee.

I also place in Thy hands my family, my possessions, my work, that you may be King of everything that is mine and may dispose of them according to Thy pleasure. I for my part will do my best in all these affairs, but I shall rest contented with whatever Thy loving Heart decided in my behalf—difficult though it may be.

In return, I ask that that the time still left to me not be wasted. I desire to do something important and useful that Thou may reign in the world: By my prayer and aspirations, by my daily tasks, by the suffering which I accept here and now, by my little acts of self-denial.

I desire that every moment of my life be spent in promoting and establishing Thy divine Kingdom. May Thy seal be on everything I do until the end of my allotted time, and then may my last breath be spent in words of love of Thy most Sacred Heart.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Divine Heart of Jesus, I wish to love and serve Thee fervently and generously, but, alas, my fervor and piety quickly die away, and I remain without love or zeal.

Oh how many of my days have been spent in lukewarmness and tepidity! Generous Heart of Jesus, be my strength and support, and grant that in future I may always labor for my salvation with energy, courage and perseverance. Amen

What Does The Sacred Heart Devotion Really Mean To Me?
Now, all this history is well and good! However, what does it mean to me and thee? Is this some kind of ‘sales-pitch’ to try and increase book sales? No. There are many excellent books on the Sacred Heart that can help us in our devotion—even though it would be a good thing to have a book that was commanded by Our Lord Himself, and Who assisted, through grace and inspiration, in its writing! Whether you acquire it and read it (electronically online, or a physical copy) is neither here nor there! What interests us are the following things:

(1) What a lack of Devotion to the Sacred Heart has done for the world
(2) Is there a key role for Sacred Heart in the crises and dangers we face today—religiously, morally, politically, economically and culturally?
(3) If there is such a role for the Sacred Heart, what form should it take?
(4) Am I expected to play some part in it? If so, what should I do?

For the answers, let us listen to our 'Papas' or the Popes!

(1) What a lack of Devotion to the Sacred Heart has done for the world
“In these latter times especially, a policy has been followed which has resulted in a sort of wall being raised between the Church and civil society ... with a view to the exclusion of religion from having any constant part in public life. This policy almost tends to the removal of the Christian faith from our midst, and, if that were possible, of the banishment of God Himself from the earth. God, to inflict on His enemies the punishment they so richly deserve, has left them the prey of their own evil desires, so that they give themselves up to their passions and finally wear themselves out by excess of liberty. Hence that abundance of evils which have now for a long time settled upon the world, and which pressingly call upon us to seek for help from Him by whose strength alone they can be driven away. Who can He be but Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God? We have gone astray and we must return to the right path: darkness has overshadowed our minds” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Annum Sacrum, Pope Leo XIII, May 25th, 1899).

“Our Predecessors have constantly defended this most approved form of devotion from the censures of calumniators, and have extolled it with high praise and promoted it very zealously, as the needs of time and circumstance demanded. … Since in the last century, and in this present century, things have come to such a pass, that by the machinations of wicked men the sovereignty of Christ Our Lord has been denied and war is publicly waged against the Church, by passing laws repugnant to Divine and natural law … [and] by holding assemblies of them that cry out, "We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14) … we are held to the duty of reparation and expiation … in order that the offense offered to God by our sins may be expiated and that the violated order may be repaired by penance” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“Churches are thrown down and overturned, religious men and virgins are torn from their homes and are afflicted with abuse, with barbarities, with hunger and imprisonment; bands of boys and girls are snatched from the bosom of their mother the Church, and are induced to renounce Christ, to blaspheme and to attempt the worst crimes of lust; the whole Christian people, sadly disheartened and disrupted, are continually in danger of falling away from the Faith, or of suffering the most cruel death. These things, in truth, are so sad that you might say that such events foreshadow and portend the "beginning of sorrows," that is to say, of those that shall be brought by the man of sin, "who is lifted up above all that is called God or is worshiped" (2 Thessalonians 2:4) (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“Moreover, among the faithful there is a greatly increasing carelessness of ecclesiastical discipline, or else it is depraved by too indulgent blandishments, and the Church is even robbed of the power of giving the young a Christian education; there is a sad forgetfulness of Christian modesty especially in the life and the dress of women; there is an unbridled desire of transitory things, a lack of moderation in civic affairs, an unrestrained ambition of popular favor, a depreciation of legitimate authority, and lastly a contempt for the word of God, whereby Faith itself is injured, or is brought into proximate peril … the thought rises in the mind that now those days draw near of which Our Lord prophesied: "And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“The root itself from which this most unhappy state of things arises is yet more to be lamented; for if that judgment of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed by the Apostle St. Paul, "the desire of money is the root of all evils," was always in close agreement with the facts, this is more than ever true at the present time ... is not this cupidity, by whatsoever name or style it is called, the chief reason why we now see, to our sorrow, that mankind is brought to its present critical condition? … Hence comes that sordid and excessive self-love which orders and subordinates all things to its own advantage, and not only neglects but tramples upon the advantage of others … Divine laws, which are the standard of all civic life and culture, are trampled underfoot … The enemies of all order, whether they be called Communists, or some other name, exaggerating the very grave straits of the economic crisis, with extreme audacity, direct all their efforts to one end—breaking the bonds of all law both human and Divine, and wage an atrocious war against all religion and against God Himself” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Caritate Christi Compulsi, Pope Pius XI, May 3rd, 1932).

“The leaders and authors of this iniquitous faction do all they can to turn the present distress and need of all things to their own purpose; and they seek, by infamous deceptions, to persuade the people that God and religion are to blame as the cause of all these great evils … these same men, going beyond all measure, treat alike the legitimate appetites of nature and its unbridled lusts, so long as this seems to favor their impious plans and institutions … this new form of impiety, while it removes all checks from the most powerful lusts of man, most impudently proclaims that there will be no peace and no happiness on earth until the last vestige of religion has been uprooted, and the last of its followers beheaded” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Caritate Christi Compulsi, Pope Pius XI, May 3rd, 1932).

(2) The Key Role of the Sacred Heart
“There is surely no reason for doubting, Venerable Brethren, that from this devotion to the Sacred Heart, established and commanded to the whole Church, many excellent benefits will flow forth not only to individual men but also to society, sacred, civil, and domestic, seeing that our Redeemer Himself promised to Margaret Mary that "all those who rendered this honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces" … This indeed we more especially and vehemently desire and confidently expect, that the just and merciful God, Who would have spared Sodom for the sake of ten just men, will now be much more be ready to spare the whole race of men, when He is moved by the humble petitions and happily appeased by the prayers of the community of the faithful praying together” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“We have endeavored to foster and bring out into fuller light that most excellent form of devotion which has for its object the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus … Jesus Christ is the Head and Supreme Lord of the human race. The whole human race is most truly under the power of Jesus Christ ... since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart — an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ ... Such an act of consecration gives to States a hope of better things” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Annum Sacrum, Pope Leo XIII, May 25th, 1899).

(3) If there is such a role for the Sacred Heart, what form should it take?
“When the Church, in the days immediately succeeding her institution, was oppressed beneath the yoke of the Caesars, a young Emperor saw in the heavens a cross, which became at once the happy omen and cause of the glorious victory that soon followed. And now, today, behold another blessed and heavenly token is offered to our sight — the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a cross rising from it and shining forth with dazzling splendor amidst flames of love. In that Sacred Heart all our hopes should be placed, and from it the salvation of men is to be confidently besought” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Annum Sacrum, Pope Leo XIII, May 25th, 1899).

“However, in the face of this satanic hatred of religion, which reminds Us of the "mystery of iniquity" (Thessalonians 2:7) referred to by St. Paul, mere human means and measures are not enough ... When Our Lord, coming down from the splendors of Tabor, had healed the boy tormented by the devil, whom the disciples had not been able to cure, to their humble question: "Why could not we cast him out?" He made reply in the memorable words: "This kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:18-20). It appears to Us, that these Divine words find a peculiar application in the evils of our times, which can be averted only by means of prayer and penance” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Caritate Christi Compulsi, Pope Pius XI, May 3rd, 1932).

“The spirit of expiation or reparation has always had the first and foremost place in the worship given to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus … For when Christ manifested Himself to Margaret Mary, and declared to her the infinitude of His love, at the same time, in the manner of a mourner, He complained that so many and such great injuries were done to Him by ungrateful men -- and we would that these words in which He made this complaint were fixed in the minds of the faithful, and were never blotted out by oblivion: "Behold this Heart, which has loved men so much and has loaded them with all benefits, and for this boundless love has had no return but neglect and insults." (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

"In order that these faults might be washed away, He then recommended several things to be done, and in particular the following as most pleasing to Himself, namely that men should approach the Altar with this purpose of expiating sin, making what is called a Communion of Reparation, and that they should likewise make expiatory supplications and prayers, prolonged for a whole hour, which is rightly called the "Holy Hour" … How great is the necessity of this expiation or reparation, more especially in this our age, will be manifest to everyone who, as we said at the outset, will examine the world, "seated in wickedness" (1 John 5:19), with his eyes and with his mind. For from all sides the cry of the peoples who are mourning comes up to us, and their princes or rulers have indeed stood up and met together in one against the Lord and against His Church” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“The faithful … must be inflamed with the charity of Christ in His agony, and make a more vehement endeavor to expiate their own faults and those of others, to repair the honor of Christ, and to promote the eternal salvation of souls. And indeed that saying of the Apostle: "Where sin abounded, grace did more abound" (Romans 5:20) may be used in a manner to describe this present age—for while the wickedness of men has been greatly increased, at the same time, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, a marvelous increase has been made in the number of the faithful, of both sexes, who with eagerly try to make satisfaction for the many injuries offered to the Divine Heart” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI, May 8th, 1928).

“Mindful then of our condition, that we are essentially limited and absolutely dependent on the Supreme Being, before everything else, let us have recourse to prayer. We know through faith how great is the power of humble, trustful, persevering prayer. To no other pious work have ever been attached such ample, such universal, such solemn promises as to prayer: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened" (Matthew 7:7). "Amen, amen I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My Name He will give it you" (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Caritate Christi Compulsi, Pope Pius XI, May 3rd, 1932).

(4) Am I expected to play some part in it? If so, what should I do?
“We exhort all—private individuals as well as States—that now, when faced with critical questions concerning the welfare of all mankind, to lay aside that sordid and selfish regard for nothing but their own advantage. Let all join together, if need be even at the cost of serious loss, so that they may save themselves and all human society” (Encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Caritate Christi Compulsi, Pope Pius XI, May 3rd, 1932).

As all the Popes say, we are on the brink of calamitous events, as the world, ruled by darkness rather than God, sinks deeper into the abyss, and seeks to drag us along. If we are captivated by the world, by its amusements, it fashions and lifestyles, then we already have one foot in the enemy camp. Holy Scripture clearly tells us this:

“Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

We are at war, and Catholics should not expect to spend their time having fun all the time at parties, movies, games, feasts, and other amusements—which Our Lady forewarned us of at La Salette: “There will be a kind of false peace in the world. People will think of nothing but amusement. The wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin.” Let us be serious and let us be truly Catholic. Let us not fall into denial or hide from the warnings Heaven has given us, nor bury our heads in the sands of worldly amusements. “Fight the good fight of Faith… whereunto thou art called” (1 Timothy 6:12).

June 9th
Heart to Heart? Or Lips to Heart?

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars.

We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

What’s It All About?
Fr. Croiset (the priest who was told by the Sacred Heart, through St. Margaret Mary, to write a book on the Sacred Heart), speaking of those few souls who have a sincere love of the Sacred Heart, writes: “When they consider how little the world is moved by this excess of love, how little men love Jesus Christ in return, and how little pains they take to be loved by Him, His faithful friends have not been able to endure seeing Him treated with such contempt day after day; they have endeavored to show their just sorrow at such treatment, and by their ardent love, their profound respect and by special acts of homage, to testify their great desire to make reparation to the utmost of their capacity for this ingratitude and contempt.” (The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, chapter 1).

In explaining the devotion to the Sacred Heart, Fr. Croiset says: “The principal motive of this devotion is the immense love which Jesus Christ has for men, who, for the most part, have nothing but contempt, or at least indifference, for Him. The end which is proposed is:

(1) Firstly, to recognize and honor, as much as lies in our power, by our frequent adoration, by a return of love, by our acts of thanksgiving and by every kind of homage, all the sentiments of love which Jesus Christ has for us in the adorable Sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist; where, however, He is so little known by men, or at least so little loved even by these people who know Him.

(2) Secondly, to make reparation, by all possible means, for the indignities and outrages to which His love has exposed Him during the course of His mortal life, and to which this same love exposes Him every day in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

“This devotion consists, therefore, in ardently loving Jesus Christ … in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist.

"The particular character of this devotion … is nothing else than an exercise of love. Love is its object, love is its motive and principle, and it is love that ought to be its end” (The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, chapter 1).

Do You Love Me?
“Jesus said to Simon Peter: ‘Simon son of John, lovest thou Me more than these?’ Peter said to Him: ‘Yes, Lord! Thou knowest that I love Thee!’ Jesus said to him: ‘Feed My lambs.’ Jesus said to him again: ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me?’ Peter said to Him: ‘Yes, Lord! Thou knowest that I love Thee!’ Jesus said to him: ‘Feed My lambs.’ Jesus said to him the third time: ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me?’ Peter was grieved, because Jesus had said to him the third time: ‘Lovest thou Me?’ And Peter said to Him: ‘Lord, Thou knowest all things! Thou knowest that I love Thee!’ Jesus said to him: ‘Feed My sheep’” (John 21:15-17).

If Our Lord were to ask us the same question: “Lovest thou Me?” What would be our answer? Remember—Our Lord can read hearts, and not just hear what comes from the lips!

With Lips Maybe! But With Heart and Soul?...
Speaking to the upholders of tradition, the Pharisees, Jesus said: “Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: ‘This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me’” (Matthew 15:7-8). Our Lord refers to God speaking through Isaias: “And the Lord said: ‘Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify Me, but their heart is far from Me’” (Isaias 23:9). Which simply translates to “Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart” (Proverbs 26:23). “With deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken” (Psalms 11:3).

For Jesus knew what they were really after: “An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit” (Ecclesiasticus 12:15). The Pharisees were self-seekers who were seeking to put Jesus aside and do away with Him: “The Pharisees, going out, made a consultation against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Matthew 12:14).

Jesus ‘Cramps My Style’!
For many souls today, even those who seek to uphold the Faith—as did the Pharisees—Jesus “gets in the way” of things. He “cramps our style” and is looked upon as being a bit of a “party-pooper” who denies us the fun and games to which we feel entitled. Why on earth should I go to an extra Mass, or two, or three, each week? What’s the point of “putting a spanner in the spokes” of my already busy day, to go and tediously sit bored in front of a tabernacle in an empty silent church? What’s wrong with rushing out of church, the moment Sunday Mass has finished, to go and speak with and enjoy the company of my friends? It’s all a matter of priorities! What matters most to us? Our Lord said: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His justice [“justice” meaning what is due to Him], and all these things shall be added unto you” (Luke 12:31).

What or Whom Do You Seek?
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). The rich young man was loved by Jesus and Our Lord invited him to sell all his possessions and to come and follow Him; but the young man went away sad, because he had great possessions, and he could not bear to part with them in order to go to Jesus: “Jesus said to him: ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come follow Me.’ And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:21-24). “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34).

Which is why St. John warns us: “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). It was the things of the world that kept Martha busy, busy, busy—while her sister, Mary, was busy listening to the words of Jesus. Martha was preparing Jesus a meal, but Jesus was interested in feeding them with His words: “It is written, ‘Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). To the busy Martha, Jesus said: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: but only one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

You Are Invited!
Likewise, we trouble ourselves about many things, and we neglect the one thing that is absolutely necessary to us—which is Jesus, or the Sacred Heart. We are invited, by Him through His inspirations, to come to His banquet—meaning, extra Masses, extra Holy Communions, visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Yet, just like the invited wedding guests in the Parable about the Wedding Feast, we make excuses—we are too busy with what we are doing:

Jesus spoke to His listeners this parable, which we can well apply to ourselves: “A certain man made a great supper, and invited many. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to them that were invited, that they should come, for now all things are ready. And they began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him: ‘I have bought a farm, and I must needs go out and see it: I pray thee, hold me excused!’ And another said: ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them: I pray thee, hold me excused!’ And another said: ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come!’ And the servant returning, told these things to his Lord. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the feeble, and the blind, and the lame!’ And the servant said: ‘Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room!’ And the Lord said to the servant: ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. But I say unto you, that none of those men that were invited, shall taste of my supper.’ And turning, Jesus said to them: ‘If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:16-26).

Now let us not blasphemously accuse Our Lord of telling us hate our family members! That is not what He means by this passage. He is simply telling us that no family member, neither mother, father, brother, sister, spouse or child, should be allowed to get in the way of our relationship with God. God comes first! “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” (Luke 12:31).

St. Matthew reports a similar parable, that of the King and the Wedding Feast: “The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying: ‘Tell them that were invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my calves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage.”’ But they neglected, and went their own ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death. But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. Then he said to his servants: ‘The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy! Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage!’ And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests” (Matthew 22:1-10).

June 10th
The Sacred Heart and the Last Ages?

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, surrounded with thorns! O Sacred Head of Jesus, crowned with thorns. From henceforth I will accept, with patience, all the interior and exterior sufferings which it may please Thee to send me. Nature may rebel, and I may, perhaps, say like Thee, in the Garden of Olives: “Father, let this chalice pass from me.” But love will quickly make me add; “Not my will, my God, but Thine be done!” Amen.

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars.

We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Honoring the Sacred Heart
There are many ways to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus; for example, Prayers, Consecrations, Novenas, Pilgrimages, Enthronements, Night Adoration, The Thursday night Holy Hour, and in the Blessed Sacrament; remembering of course that Our Lord's Sacred Heart is especially present in the Blessed Sacrament. We also honor the Sacred Heart by keeping Our Lord's commandments and studying His words and teachings, and by being faithful to the traditional teachings of His Church.

In His great love for us, Our Lord and Savior remains in His Sacred Humanity, and His Heart of Flesh is for us the great reality and the great symbol of that great Love for us. During the revelations of His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary, Our Lord said that He desired to be honored in all places under the figure of His Heart of Flesh, as: "a favor to men and to set them once more -- in these last ages — under the sweet liberty of the empire of His love"   The figure of Our Lord's Heart of Flesh is shown in the pictures and statues of the Sacred Heart. Our Lord seeks for us to honor Him explicitly and implicitly in this way. By honoring His Heart, we honor the whole Christ.

The End Times or Last Ages
Notice the above reference of Our Lord to the "last ages." In His first revelation Our Lord explained how devotion to His Sacred Heart will obtain many graces, and that it was being given to draw men and women back from “the pit of perdition” — which perfectly portrays the great dangers of the times in which we now live. As an antidote to falling into sin, we are shown, in this revelation, that Our Lord offers to us “the sweet liberty of the empire of His Love.”  The focus of our lives must be on Him, and not on unwanted worldly ways and distractions. Devotion to His Heart would draw men away from these worldly distractions and sin.

Fr. Culleton, in his book The Prophets And Our Times, states: “There is evidence that it was the will of Our Divine Lord that Devotion to the Sacred Heart be reserved for the last ages of the world, so that, in the last great struggle between Himself and Satan, the souls, that He loves so dearly, may be drawn to Him with renewed warmth, and thus strengthened against the final desperate attacks of the enemy” (Fr. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, ch. 4).

“In the times preceding the end of the world, Satan and his cohorts were to be loosed upon the earth in a mighty effort to draw as many souls as possible away from God, before the power of Hell would be remarkably restricted, if not completely broken. Satan's mission is one of hate. God wins souls through love. Our Blessed Savior knew that the hatred, which would be rampant in those evil days, could be best conquered by a devotion which would inspire love and charity in the hearts of men. It was to serve, as it were, as a magnet and a bulwark of strength, by giving men a clearer knowledge of God's deep and abiding love and mercy. It would provide a harbor of peace and security in those days of confusion and anguish, when men's souls would be tried, almost beyond endurance” (Fr. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, ch. 4).

“In all times of great distress or danger, God has provided men with the means of conquering evil, as evidenced by the history of the world, both before the time of Christ, but especially since the Redemption. To mention just one of the instances of Divine intervention, when a special devotion was given to the world at a crucial period, let us consider the Rosary. In the 13th century, when the Albigenses were preaching their vicious doctrines against marriage, and the spread of this heresy seriously endangered the morals of the people, St. Dominic began preaching against them. He had but little success, until Our Blessed Lady appeared to him and told him to encourage devotion to the Rosary. This was done and the heresy quickly disappeared” (Fr. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, ch. 4).

“St. Gertrude, in the 14th century, who often conversed with the 'Beloved Disciple' St. John, on one occasion asked him why he, who loved our Blessed Lord so fervently, had never written anything about the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He explained to her that his mission was to expound the Doctrine of the Incarnation and that as for the Love of the Incarnate Word, as exemplified by His Divine Heart, it was reserved for the last ages to make it known, 'so that the world, carried away by follies, may regain a little of the warmth of early Christian charity, by learning of the love of the Sacred Heart.'" (Fr. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, ch. 4).

It was on the feast of St. John the Evangelist, three centuries later in 1647, that Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and made certain promises to those who had a special devotion to His Sacred Heart, which promises were destined to become the means of salvation to so many countless Christians. Regarding this vision, the Saint explained, "I understand that this devotion to the Sacred Heart was a last effort of His love towards Christians of these latter times, by proposing to them an object and a means so calculated to persuade them to love Him" (Fr. Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, ch. 4).

“That devotion to the Sacred Heart … must consist of two essential acts: love and atonement” (Fr. Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, §§ 1259)

The twofold nature of devotion to His Sacred Heart—that of love and reparation—is shown by Our Lord in His first revelation to St. Margaret Mary. It was December 27th, 1673, the feast of St John the Evangelist (and Apostle). St John is closely connected to the Sacred Heart, on account of his laying his head on Our Lord's Heart at the Last Supper and because he was at the foot of the Cross on Calvary, when that Sacred Heart was pierced with a lance. The Sacred Heart Devotion is intrinsically linked to the Holy Eucharist (which is the fruit of the first Mass at the Last Supper) and the Sacrifice of the Mass (which is nothing other than the unbloody re-enactment of Calvary once again). The Holy Eucharist is both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice. Our Lord gives us Himself (His ‘Heart’) to eat in the Holy Eucharist; and He asks us to carry our cross and suffer with Him, as He did for us throughout His life, and especially on Calvary: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Fr. Larkin in his book Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, under the heading: "Essential Elements of The Devotion," gives us an outline of the chief elements of this devotion:  "Devotion to the Sacred Heart, then, is nothing else than love for the Person of Jesus [the Incarnate Word] whose infinite love is symbolized by His Heart. Or, to put it in another way. It is love for the Heart of Jesus, considered as the symbol of His love for us" (pp. 52-53). Fr. Larkin then lists the chief elements of this devotion according to mind of St. Margaret Mary and her director, Fr. Croiset. We will list them here and then make further explanatory comments upon them. They are as follows:

1. Worship of the Sacred Heart. He proposed His Heart for worship as "the inexhaustible source of all the treasures of love, mercy and grace, sanctification and salvation for men." "He asks that Its image be singularly honored."

“Our divine Lord assured me that He takes a singular pleasure in being honored under the figure of His Heart of flesh, the image of which He wishes to be exposed in public in order to touch the unfeeling hearts of men. He promised that He would pour out in abundance, into the hearts of all those who would honor His Heart, all the gifts with which It is filled, and everywhere this image is exposed and honored, it would draw down all kinds of blessings” (Fr. Larkin's Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, p. 78).

Do we have an image (statue or painting or print) of the Sacred Heart in our home? If we do, then well and good, but that is only the beginning—the planting of a seed. What honor do we show to that image by way of prayers and devotions? How often do we do so? With how much fervor?

2. Belief in the merciful love of that Heart, for all men and for ourselves in particular, with all our shortcomings. "Behold this Heart which has so loved men, that It has spared itself nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself to testify to them Its love."

Sometimes we may find the mercy of the Heart of Jesus hard to believe—we may think it 'unbelievable'. Yet God is 'unbelievable' in what He does—believe me! Here are some quotes of Our Lord’s words, taken from the book by Fr. Bartholomew Gottemoller, Words of Love, which takes selected extracts from Our Lord’s many messages to three mystics: Sr. Josefa Menendez, St. Consolata Betrone and Sr. Mary of the Trinity. These go to show the Sacred Heart’s 'unbelievable' love for souls:

"Consolata, it often happens that good and pious souls, and, very frequently, also souls who are consecrated to Me, wound My Heart to Its very depths by some diffident phrase such as: 'Who knows whether I will be saved?' Open the Gospel and read there My promises. I promised to My sheep: 'I will give them life everlasting; and they shall not perish forever, and no man shall pluck them out of My Hand.' Do you understand, Consolata? No one can take a soul from Me! Now read on: 'That which My Father hath given Me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of the Hand of My Father.' Do you understand, Consolata? No one can snatch a soul from Me.... In all eternity they will not perish ... because I give them eternal life. For whom have I spoken these words? For all the sheep, for all souls! Why then the insult, 'Who knows whether I will be saved?' I have given assurances, in the Gospel, that no one can pluck a soul from Me and that I will give that soul eternal life; and so the soul cannot perish. Believe Me, Consolata, into Hell go only those who really wish to go there; for, though no one can snatch a soul from Me, the soul may, through the free will granted her, flee from Me, may betray Me, deny Me, and so go to Satan of her own volition.

"You see, final impenitence is found only in a soul who purposely wishes to go to Hell and, therefore, obstinately refuses My mercy; for I never refuse to pardon anyone. I offer the gift of My immense compassion to all; for My Blood was shed for all! For all! No, it is not the multiplicity of sins which condemns a soul—for I forgive everything if she repents—but it is the obstinacy of not wishing to be pardoned, of wishing to be damned! Dismas, on the cross, had only one single act of faith in Me, but many, many sins; he was pardoned, however, in an instant; and, on the very day of his repentance, he entered into My kingdom and is a saint! Behold the triumph of My Mercy and of faith in Me! No, Consolata, My Father who has given Me the souls is greater and more powerful than all the demons. No one can snatch souls from the Hand of My Father!” (Fr. Bartholomew Gottemoller, Words of Love, chapter 5).

3. A generous return of love for Jesus Christ. "Our Lord gave me to understand that the great desire, which He had of being loved perfectly by men, had caused Him to form the design of manifesting His Heart and of making, in these last ages, this last effort of His love, by proposing an object and a means so proper to induce men to love Him and to love Him solidly" (St. Margaret Mary).

What does it mean to return love to Jesus? The first level of love is to keep His commandments: “If you love me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Fr. Tanquerey, in his renowned classic The Spiritual Life, writes:

“The chief care of beginners is that of preserving charity. Their efforts, then, are directed toward the avoidance of sin, above all, mortal sin, and toward the conquest of evil inclinations, of the passions, and of all that could make them lose the love of God. This is the purgative way, the end of which is the purification of the soul.

“The chief concern of those already advanced, the proficients, is progress in the positive exercise of the virtues and growth in charity. The heart, already purified, is all the more open to divine light and to the love of God. The soul wishes to follow Jesus and to imitate His virtues, and since by following Him one walks in the Light, this is called the illuminative way. Here the soul strives to avoid not only mortal, but even venial sin.

“Perfect souls have but one concern to cling to God and to take their delight in Him. Ever seeking to unite themselves to God, they are in the unitive way. Sin fills them with horror, for they fear to displease God and to offend Him. The virtues that most attract them are the theological virtues, which unite them to God. Hence, the earth seems to them an exile, and, like St. Paul, they long to die to be joined to Christ.” (Fr. Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, §§ 341-343).

4. This is the characteristic element of the devotion. Our Lord asks for reparation from His faithful friends to console Him for the coldness and indifference of so many, they are to make Communions of reparation, especially on the First Fridays, to make the Holy Hour, but above all to strive to love Him more and more in order to make up for those who do not love Him.

“That devotion to the Sacred Heart … must consist of two essential acts: love and atonement. Love is the first and the foremost of these duties, according to St. Margaret Mary as well as according, to St. John Eudes. St. Margaret Mary writes: "He made me see that it was the great desire He had of being loved by men, and of withdrawing them from the road of perdition, that induced Him to conceive this plan of making His Heart known to men … Let us, then, love this, the only love of our souls, since He has loved us first and loves us still so ardently that He continually burns with love for us in the Blessed Sacrament.”

“The second of these essential acts is atonement; for the love of Jesus is outraged by the ingratitude of men, as He Himself declared in the third great apparition to St. Margaret Mary: ‘Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. In return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverences and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of love … My daughter, I come into the heart I have given you in order that, through your fervor, you may atone for the offenses which I have received from lukewarm and slothful hearts, that dishonor me in the Blessed Sacrament.’” (Fr. Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, §§ 1259-1260).

5. Special love and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. “I have an ardent desire to be honored by men in the Blessed Sacrament."

In the fourth revelation of His Sacred Heart Our Lord said to St. Margaret Mary:
"Behold this Heart, Which has loved men so much, that It has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify to them Its love; and in return I receive from the greater number nothing but ingratitude by reason of their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt which they show Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel the most keenly is that it is hearts, which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus. Therefore, I ask of thee that the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special feast to honor My Heart, by communicating on that day and making reparation to It by a solemn act, in order to make amends for the indignities which It has received during the time It has been exposed on the altars. I promise thee that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its divine love upon those who shall thus honor It, and cause It to be honored."

This is very much focused on the Eucharist, and we should never forget that Our Lord's Body and Blood; the Eucharist, contains His Sacred Heart. And again we see in this revelation how Our Lord reveals His feelings to us. The focus here is very much on the indifference that is so offensive to Him. Our Lord God again emphasizes the importance of "repair" (reparation) and He asks for a special feast for this purpose. He is again drawing attention to Himself and what He does and does not expect from us, and here He very specifically draws attention to the Ministers and Religious of His Church. Who can fathom the magnificence of Our Lord's revelations and the great honor bestowed upon St. Margaret Mary, upon the Church and upon the whole of mankind? Our Lord also gave the First Fridays devotion:

"I promise you, in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure nor without receiving the Sacraments, My Divine Heart becoming their assured refuge in that hour."

Besides going to Mass and Holy Communion on the First Fridays of the month, we can also visit Our Lord much more often in the Blessed Sacrament, present, yet often abandoned and alone, upon our altars. Visiting Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is a reflection of the depth and strength of our Faith. If we really believe in His presence in the tabernacle, then what could keep us away? Or whatever keeps us away, has become more important to us than our God Himself.

June 11th
Through One Heart To Another

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars.

We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

To the Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart

Striking Words of St. Margaret Mary
St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690), the great Apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, looked to the Blessed Virgin as being the way to Our Lord; to the Immaculate Heart being the way to the Sacred Heart: "The most efficacious way to obtain devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary." When she was Mistress of Novices, St. Margaret Mary taught this to her novices. And St. Margaret Mary’s spiritual director, St. Claude de la Colombière stated: "I turn to Mary and ask her to obtain for me the grace to imitate Our Lord’s Heart. I saw how perfectly her Heart copied His."

St. Louis de Montfort Likewise
St. Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716), who lived around the same time as St. Margaret Mary, who was born when Margaret Mary was 16 years of age (both of them died aged 43), also teaches us the same truth:

Mary is the Holy Trinity’s Holy Tool
“It was through the most holy Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that He has to reign in the world ... God having willed to commence and to complete His greatest works by the most holy Virgin … gave His Only begotten to the world ... God the Father communicated to Mary His fruitfulness, inasmuch as a mere creature was capable of it, in order that He might give her the power to produce His Son and all the members of His Mystical Body” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“God the Son descended into her virginal womb, as the New Adam into His terrestrial paradise, to take His pleasure there, and to work in secret marvels of grace ... Jesus Christ gave more glory to God the Father by submission to His Mother, during those thirty years, than He would have given Him in converting the whole world by the working of the most stupendous miracles. O, how highly we glorify God when, to please Him, we submit ourselves to Mary, after the example of Jesus Christ … If we examine closely the rest of our Blessed Lord’s life, we shall see that it was His will to begin His miracles by Mary. He sanctified St. John in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth, but it was by Mary’s word. No sooner had she spoken than John was sanctified; and this was His first miracle of grace. At the marriage of Cana He changed the water into wine, but it was at Mary’s humble prayer; and this was His first miracle of nature. He began and continued His miracles by Mary, and He will continue them to the end of ages by Mary” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“God the Holy Ghost, being barren in God–that is to say, not producing another Divine Person–is become fruitful by Mary, whom He has espoused. It was with her, in her, and of her that He produced His Masterpiece, which is God made Man, and that He goes on producing daily, to the end of the world, the predestinate and the members of the Body of that adorable Head. This is the reason why He, the Holy Ghost, the more He finds Mary, His dear and inseparable spouse, in any soul, the more active and mighty He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul, and that soul in Jesus Christ” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

All Entrusted to Mary
“The conduct which the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity have deigned to pursue in the Incarnation and the first coming of Jesus Christ, They still pursue daily, throughout the whole Church; and They will still pursue it even to the consummation of ages. God the Father made an assemblage of all His graces and he called it Mary (Maria in Latin means “sea”) … and this immense treasury is none other than Mary, out of whose plenitude all men are made rich. God the Son has communicated to His Mother all that He acquired by His life and His death, His infinite merits and His admirable virtues; and He has made her the treasurer of all … It is by her that He applies His merits and communicates His virtues, and distributes His graces. She is His mysterious canal; she is His aqueduct, through which He makes His mercies flow gently and abundantly. To Mary, His faithful spouse, God the Holy Ghost has communicated His unspeakable gifts; and He has chosen her to be the dispenser of all He possesses, in such wise that she distributes to whom she wills, as much as she wills, as she wills and when she wills, all His gifts and graces ... Such are the sentiments of the Church and the holy Fathers” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

Mary Produces Jesus in Us
“Just as in the natural and corporal generation of children there are a father and a mother, so in the supernatural and spiritual generation there are a Father, who is God, and a Mother, who is Mary. All the true children of God, the predestinate, have God for their Father and Mary for their Mother. He who has not Mary for his Mother has not God for his Father ... God the Son wishes to form Himself, and, so to speak, to incarnate Himself in His members every day, by His dear Mother … the first man that is born in Mary is the Man-God, Jesus Christ; the second is a mere man, the child of God and Mary by adoption. If Jesus Christ, the Head of men, is born in her, then the predestinate, who are the members of that Head, ought also to be born in her, by a necessary consequence ... It is certain that Jesus Christ is, for each man in particular who possesses Him, the fruit and the work of Mary; so that if any one of the faithful has Jesus Christ formed in his heart, he can say boldly, ‘All thanks be to Mary! What I possess is her effect and her fruit, and without her I should never have had it’” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“St. Augustine, surpassing himself, and going beyond all I have yet said, affirms that all the predestinate, in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, are in this world hidden in the womb of the most holy Virgin, where they are guarded, nourished, brought up and made to grow by that good Mother until she has brought them forth to glory after death, which is properly the day of their birth, as the Church calls the death of the just” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

Mary Will Produce the Greatest Saints
“God the Holy Ghost wishes to form the elect for Himself in her and by her, and He says to her: … “Reproduce yourself in My elect!” Mary has produced, together with the Holy Ghost, the greatest thing which has been or ever will be–a God Man; and she will consequently produce the greatest saints, that there will be, in the end of time. The formation and the education of the great saints, who shall come at the end of the world, are reserved for her ... We may evidently conclude, then, that Mary has received from God a great domination over the souls of the elect; as God the Father ordered her to do, and, as their mother, form, nourish and bring them forth to eternal life, and have them as her inheritance and portion, and form them in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in them” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

The words of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque beautifully summarize the above thoughts of St. Louis de Montfort: "The most efficacious way to have devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

Mary, Jesus and Cana
We see, in Holy Scripture, Mary’s role in moving the Sacred Heart to have mercy upon the plight of souls. This happened at the Marriage Feast of Cana (John 2:1-10).

“There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus said to Him: ‘They have no wine!’ And Jesus said to her: ‘Woman, what is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come!’ His mother said to the waiters: ‘Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye!’ Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.

"Jesus said to them: ‘Fill the water pots with water!’ And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus said to them: ‘Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast!’ And they carried it. When the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew, who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and said to him: ‘Every man at first sets forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now!’ "

The best wine, being produced at the end of the banquet, is symbolic of Mary producing the greatest saints at the end of time.

It was Divine Providence that arranged for this intercession of Mary in the proceedings of the marriage feast. It was Mary that led the servants to Jesus. The miracle did not come from Mary, but from Jesus. Did the servants worship Mary because of her intercession? No! Mary does not 'get in the way' of Jesus. Mary simply leads the servants to Jesus by basically telling them: "Do whatever He tells you."  This plainly shows that His mother knew of the miracle that He was to perform, and that it was at her request He performed it. Mary tells us to do the will of Jesus; and because of Mary’s intercession, Christ showed His glory to us. The Sacred Heart of Jesus was moved by the Immaculate Heart of Mary to perform the miracle at Cana! The words of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque ring so true: "The most efficacious way to have devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

Sacred Heart Apostle on Mary’s Role
Here, too, are the words of that famous Apostle of the Enthronement to the Sacred Heart, Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey SS.CC.:

Mary's Heart is the Road to Jesus' Heart
“Let us then respect and adore the design of the Most High by keeping the Hearts of Jesus and Mary perfectly united. To them be honor and glory for ever and ever! My road to get to the Holy of Holies, to the very heart of Jesus, to the most intimate recesses of that Sanctuary of Justice and of Love, is perfectly mapped out for me. The necessary and direct road is Mary. No one goes to the Father save through the Son, ‘neither doth anyone know the Father, but the Son and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him.’ So, too, we may say that no one goes to the King unless led to Him by Mary, nor does anyone know the King but he to whom His beauty is revealed by the Queen” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

God Comes to Us and We Go to God Through Mary
“Through her the Word came to us from the bosom of the Father. The Word could have chosen a thousand other ways, or no way at all, for neither bridges nor intermediaries are necessary to the purposes of God. It was His explicit will that, just as God was to come to men through Mary, so redeemed humanity should also go to God through her. No Christian worthy of the name will choose any other road than Mary, the one planned out by Him Who called Himself ‘the Way.’

To be unwilling to pass through the arms of the Immaculate Queen, in our search for God and for His Son, would be to presume to rectify what He Himself accomplished, in the stupendous miracle of the Incarnation. By eliminating Mary, we should neither straighten the road, nor shorten the distance between us and God, for, to suppress the Mother of Jesus, the divine intermediary, is not at all the same as abolishing the royal antechamber in the palace of the King. Mary is the sanctuary itself, wherein He dwells” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Jesus is to be found alongside His Mother
“Since the Annunciation, she has occupied such a position, between God and His creatures, that anyone seeking to avoid her intervention, or to eliminate this ‘gate of Heaven, will lengthen the road and be exposed to the grave risk of never reaching the final goal. In Bethlehem, the shepherds, kings and even Joseph, received the adorable Babe from Mary's hands. She took up her Treasure and, after tenderly embracing Him, lent Him to those who had been so happy, as to receive a special summons to the Crib. And when they had caressed and adored the Child, they returned Him to His mother's loving arms” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Copying Jesus’ Submission to Mary
“For many years, Jesus did nothing of importance without asking Mary's leave, if only to give her another proof of His filial tenderness and love. The words of Holy Scripture, ‘He was subject to them,’ show us a fathomless abyss in which stand out, in bold relief, both Mary, who like a queen commands, decides, directs, and Jesus, Who is obedient to her. Jesus is our perfect model of filial love for Mary, because, except for His heavenly Father, no one was so dear to Him” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

“The first words lisped by the Divine Babe were surely, ‘Mother … Mary,’ and they came from the depth of the God Man's Heart. He loved her as only God could love the most holy and matchless of creatures. ‘Thou art all fair, O My love, and there is not a spot in thee.’ He loved her as only God could love the Virgin Mother, from whom He was to take human flesh and blood, that, through His Passion and death, He might redeem the world” Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

“From the moment of the Incarnation, He consecrated Mary as Co-Redemptrix to collaborate with Him ... Jesus loved her with the gratitude of God, because, by her ‘Fiat’, she gave Him what He lacked as God, the power to suffer and to die. Jesus loved her with the gratitude of a Son, Who drew His life from her and slept peacefully in her loving arms. His Heart enjoyed the tender caresses and watchful care which Mary lavished on Him, the Son of God and her own Son!” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

United Hearts
“Jesus loved her during those thirty years of closest intimacy, when the Hearts of Son and Mother were united by the continual converse of their souls, by that passion and secret agony, which, throughout their lives, crucified them both. Jesus loved her on Good Friday and gave His Heart to her on the Via Dolorosa, to strengthen and comfort her! How He loved her when He fixed His dying eyes upon her, and entrusted His Church and all mankind to her in the person of St. John” (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Learning to Love Mary Through Jesus
“Thus you see, that we have learnt the love of Mary in a good school, that of the Heart of Jesus. We cannot be mistaken in loving what He loved, and as He loved. By thus imitating Him, in the love He bore His mother, we are drawn into a closer intimacy with His most Sacred Heart and we procure Him great joy and glory. Let us, therefore, love to repeat the ‘Salve Regina’ with a slight and very beautiful variation: Not only after, but during, this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!”  (Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC., Apostle of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).

We quote again the words of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: "The most efficacious way to have devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

June 12th
Love His Heart by Loving This Book

PRAYER OF
ST. MARGARET MARY
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Hail, Heart of Jesus, save me!

Hail, Heart of my Creator, perfect me!

Hail, Heart of my Savior, deliver me!

Hail, Heart of my Judge, grant me pardon!

Hail, Heart of my Father, govern me!

Hail, Heart of my Spouse, grant me love!

Hail, Heart of my Master, teach me!

Hail, Heart of my King, be my crown!

Hail, Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!

Hail, Heart of my Shepherd, guard me!

Hail, Heart of my Friend, comfort me!

Hail, Heart of my Brother, stay with me!

Hail, Heart of the Child Jesus, draw me to Thyself!

Hail, Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, redeem me!

Hail, Heart of Jesus in all Thy states, give Thyself to me!

Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness, have mercy on me!

Hail, Heart of splendor, shine within me!

Hail, most loving Heart, inflame me!

Hail, most merciful Heart, work within me!

Hail, most humble Heart, dwell within me!

Hail, most patient Heart, support me!

Hail, most faithful Heart, be my reward!

Hail, most admirable and most worthy Heart, bless me!

Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until it finds Thee, who art its center, its love, and its happiness.

By the wound in Thy heart pardon the sins that I have committed whether out of malice or out of evil desires.

Place my weak heart in Your own divine Heart,
continually under Your protection and guidance, so that I may persevere in doing good and in fleeing evil until my last breath. Amen.

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

How Can I Love Jesus?
How are we to incite ourselves to return to the Heart of Jesus love for love? If we wish to arouse in our souls love for the Heart of Jesus, we have only to consider and meditate on the magnificent and touching proofs which He has given of His love for us. There is no lack of books that may help us for this contemplation. There is, first of all, the Book par excellence, the Holy Gospels, the simple and yet moving record of what Jesus said, did and suffered for love of us. Besides the Gospels, there is no lack of books that may help us know and contemplate Jesus.

Book and Heart
There is, however, yet another book, to which for this study we should give the preference, namely, the Sacred Heart of Jesus itself. It was the favorite book of St. Margaret Mary, the book in which she had learned to know the love of Jesus. Frequently it happened that she was unable to read any other. "Though I try all that I can" she writes to Fr. Croiset, "I am often incapable of reading the book I hold in my hands. But instead of this, the lovable Heart of my Jesus lies open to me as a great book in which He makes me read the marvelous lessons of His pure love?"

Reading His Heart Like a Book
She would simply recall in her mind the image of the Sacred Heart and would find a wealth of material to think about, reflect upon, ponder and contemplate. She writes: “This Divine Heart was shown to me as on a throne of flames, more dazzling than the sun and transparent as crystal, with that adorable wound, and surrounded with a crown of thorns which signified the pricks caused to It by our sins; and above there was a cross, which signified that from the first moment of His Incarnation, that is, as soon as this Sacred Heart was formed, the cross was planted in It and that It was filled with all the bitterness which humiliation and poverty, pain and scorn would cause to It, and which His sacred Humanity was to suffer through all His lifetime and in His sacred Passion?”

As the Saint attests, the cross symbolizes all that Jesus suffered in His Heart during His mortal life; the thorns are the emblem of the grief caused Him by our sins. Of the wound and the flames she gives no explanation, but the wound evidently reminds us of His Death, for it is called “that adorable wound”, i.e. the well-known wound inflicted on Him on the cross by the lance of the soldier. As for the flames, from other passages of the writings of the Saint it appears that they are the symbol of Christ's ardent love. “My Divine Heart,” Our Lord said to her, “is so passionately inflamed with love for men and for you in particular, that, not being able any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its ardent charity, It must needs spread them abroad by means of you.” St. Margaret Mary comments: “The adorable Heart of my Jesus was in the midst of the flames of Its pure love ... From His sacred Humanity there burst forth flames on all sides, especially from His adorable breast, which resembled a furnace. He opened His breast and showed me His Divine Heart as the source of these flames.”

Nobody Wants to Read His Heart
There is nothing quite so painful as love that is rejected. The same rings true for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To St. Margaret Mary He complained: "Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love.” By His Eucharistic Miracles, Jesus has shown the Holy Eucharist to be His Sacred Heart—read about the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano in the early 700’s, which was scientifically proved to be the Heart of Jesus in 1970; and the lesser known Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires in 1996, which was also scientifically shown to be the Heart of Jesus (click here to read).

The Book of His Heart is in Every Tabernacle
His Sacred and Eucharistic Heart is one and the same thing—for this reason Pope Benedict XV, on November 9th, 1921, instituted the feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus to be celebrated on the Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart with a Proper Mass and Office. The feast continues to be celebrated in some places and by some communities, notably by the Redemptorists, who maintain it in their Proper Calendar. In instituting the feast, Pope Benedict XV wrote:

“The chief reason of this feast is to commemorate the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of the Eucharist. By this means the Church wishes more and more to excite the faithful to approach this sacred mystery with confidence, and to inflame their hearts with that divine charity which consumed the Sacred Heart of Jesus when in His infinite love He instituted the Most Holy Eucharist, wherein the Divine Heart guards and loves them by living with them, as they live and abide in Him. For in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist He offers and gives Himself to us as victim, companion, nourishment, viaticum, and pledge of our future glory.”

We Must Love to Gain Heaven
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment … He should be loved with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole soul, and with the whole strength; and, to love one’s neighbor as one’s self, is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:30-33). “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another” (John 13:35).

True Love
Our Lord said of Himself: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”, but He is even more than that—He is Love Itself. “God is charity” (1 John 4:8). “In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). “And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). “He hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts” (Romans 5:5). “He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity” (1 John 4:8). “Charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7).

Counterfeit Love
Today, love is frequently feigned, pretended, ‘put-on’ and faked. Never has the world used the word “love” so much and never has it meant it less. There is a divorce between our hearts and our lips. Of course, we were created for love, God made us for love, but it was for a true love that we were made, not a false love. We crave true love, but we often dish out false love, a fake love—a ‘lips love’ but not a ‘heart love’! Sadly, the world seems tolerant, or even comfortable, with counterfeit love—as long as everyone can pretend that it is true love.

Unfortunately, this lip-service flows over into our spiritual life and our love of God and things spiritual. We tell God that we love Him, but it that love does not flicker in our affections and emotions, nor does it translate itself into sincere words of love and sincere actions of love. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, those masters of deceit and pretense: “But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you” (John 5:42). This is why St. Peter tells us: “With a brotherly love, from a sincere heart love one another earnestly” (1 Peter 1:22) … “in charity unfeigned” (2 Corinthians 6:6).

HOW TO PROVE YOUR LOVE TO THE HEART OF JESUS

Jesus does not only desire that we think about or contemplate His Heart and His love—He also wants us to enkindle our own love for Him, and He wants us to prove our love to Him.

Affective Love and Effective Love
Our love can be shown two ways: interiorly and exteriorly. Interior love is called AFFECTIVE LOVE because it involves our affections or emotions. Yet this kind of interior love, or affective love, is only a beginning and not an end in itself. It should sprout, so to speak, and shoot forth visible external acts that are an EFFECT of the interior love. These effects of the interior (affective love) we call EFFECTIVE LOVE. In other words, affective love is the cause; and effective love is the effect produced by the cause. Or look upon it as a seed (affective love) and a growing plant (effective love).

But without the seed, there can be no plant that grows. If we do not think about, reflect upon, ponder and contemplate Our Lord, then our affections remain frozen in seed-like form and do not sprout. This is what St. Thérèse of Liseux means when she complains that Jesus is so little loved, because He is so little known. We spend far more time getting to know more about earthly people, places and things than we spend in getting to know Jesus better.

Our affective love must be taken out of the freer and placed close to the flames of the Sacred Heart. Our affective love needs to think about Jesus a lot more, before it can even dream of producing true words and actions of love (effective love). Anyone can say “I love you!” but not many really mean “I love you!” in the depth of their hearts. As Our Lord said: “This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). The same can be said of actions, if they are done without real love or charity in the heart. St. Paul points this out in his ‘litany of love’: “If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Litmus Test of Love
Our love for Jesus cannot and must not stop at affective love—that is to say, it cannot remain in the domain of thoughts feelings alone, but it must be translated into words and actions. Jesus tells us the very minimal proof of our love for Him: “If you love Me, keep My commandments … He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth Me … He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words” (John 14:15, 21). Elsewhere Jesus complains: “Why call you Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

The Degrees of True Love
This is the minimal level of love—our affections of love must be manifested, proved and perfected by some effects; those minimal effects are the keeping of His commandments and words (advice). That is a simple infallible litmus test of love—the more we keep His commandments and follow His advice, the more we can be said to love Him. The less we follow His commandments and advice, the less we love Him. No way around that! No excuses here! That simple test proves it all!

The next degree of love, that rises above the minimalist level, is that of wanting to spend time with the Beloved, to listen to the Beloved, to imitate the Beloved: “Take up My yoke (cross) upon you, and learn of Me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

The highest level of love is to suffer and die for the Beloved: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). There have been countless generous souls who, prompted by their love for Jesus, wished to resemble Him and passionately loved and even eagerly sought poverty, sufferings and humiliations.

Examples of a High Degree of Love
► St. Francis of Assisi, took the yoke of Poverty for his 'spouse', and remained heroically faithful to her even to his death.
► St. Ignatius of Loyola took upon himself the yoke of imprisonment in the dungeon of the Inquisition under suspicion of heresy, and assured those who pitied him, that all the affronts and outrages inflicted on him, would not slake his thirst for suffering for the sake of Jesus.
► St. Francis Xavier who, whenever he received a moment's respite from suffering, used to say: "O my Jesus, I find it hard not to suffer!"
► St. John of the Cross who, when asked by Jesus what reward he wished on earth for all that he had done for His glory, answered: "To be allowed to suffer, O Lord, and to be despised for Thee!"
► St. Angela of Foligno, to whom Jesus offered two crowns, one of roses and the other of thorns, and who eagerly took from His hands the crown of thorns and pressed it on her head.
► St. Teresa of Avila, who could not resign herself to live without sufferings and incessantly repeated: "Either to suffer or to die!"
► St. Magdalen of Pazzi, who wanted to live on in order to be able to suffer, and said over and over again: "Not to die, but to suffer!"
► St. Margaret Mary, was prompted, by her love for Jesus and her eager desire of resembling Him, passionately to love poverty, sufferings and humiliations.

World Happy With Counterfeit Love
The world is more or less happy with counterfeit love—it would prefer true love, but it will take a lie if it can get the true love it seeks; and, as they say, “repeat a lie enough times, and everyone will believe it!” When false love will have lied to them enough times, they will eventually take it to be true love. Not so with God! As the Catechism says: “God cannot deceive, nor be deceived.” Therefore, “Serve Him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds” (1 Paralipomenon 28:9).

The Sacred Heart, which is best reached, according to St. Margaret Mary, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is the source of your sanctification and salvation—do not neglect you Heart! “If thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever” (1 Paralipomenon 28:9).

June 13th
She Saw It First!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Send forth Thy Spirit, O Lord, and enkindle in me the fire of Thy burning love. Set my heart afire with a spark of Thy eternal love; inflame my heart with Thy love, so that I might burn all my sins and failings in the blazing furnace of Thy charity. Let Thy divine flames of love penetrate all my thoughts, words and actions so that they may bring warmth and zeal to whomever I may encounter. Let my whole life be consumed in the flames of Thy love, so that I may avoid both the flames of Purgatory and the fires of Hell. May my love for Thee burn brightly and eternally in Heaven. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Heart of Jesus! Thou dost always love us, notwithstanding our sins and innumerable crimes. In Thee love is stronger than death. Grant, by the assistance of Thy grace, that loving Thee with the most ardent love, we may obtain the pardon of our faults, final perseverance and eternal happiness. Amen.

PRAYER OF
ST. MARGARET MARY
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
We all know of the connection between the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Margaret Mary, but perhaps time has eroded any precision or detail about these things from our memory bank. In this period surrounding the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a little refresher would not go amiss. Let us briefly look and remind ourselves of what happened during the four principal and key apparitions that Sacred Heart gave to St. Margaret Mary.

First Revelation
On December 27th, feast of St. John the Apostle, Margaret Mary was only 26 years old and had only fourteen months of profession. She was kneeling as usual before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the chapel. It was the moment chosen by God for a great revelation. She told us how it happened:

“I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, when I felt myself wholly penetrated with that Divine Presence, but to such a degree that I lost all thought of myself and of the place where I was. He made me repose for a long time upon His Sacred Breast, where He disclosed to me the marvels of His love and the inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart.”

Jesus told her: “My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for men, and for thee in particular that, being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning charity, It needs to spread them abroad by thy means, and manifest itself to them (mankind) in order to enrich them with the precious treasures which I discover to thee, and with contain graces of sanctification and salvation necessary to withdraw them from the abyss of perdition. I have chosen thee as an abyss of unworthiness and ignorance for the accomplishment of this great design, in order that every thing may be done by Me.”

“After this,” she continued, “He asked me for my heart, which I begged Him to take. He did so and placed it in His Adorable Heart where He showed it to me as a little atom which was being consumed in this great furnace, and withdrawing it thence as a burning flame in the form of a heart, He restored it to the place whence He had taken it saying to me: ‘See, my well beloved, I give thee a precious token of my love, having enclosed within thy side a little spark of its glowing flames, that it may serve thee for a heart and consume thee to the last moment of thy life; its ardor will never be exhausted, and thou will be able to find some slight relief only by bleeding. As a proof that the great favor I have done thee is not imagination, although I have closed the wound in thy side, the pain will always remain. If hitherto, thou hast taken only the name of My slave, I now give thee that of the beloved disciple of My Sacred Heart.’”

After this great favor, Margaret remained for many days on fire and inebriated with divine love, and so completely out of herself, that she had to do herself violence in order to utter a single word. The effort she had to make in order to join in recreation or to take food was so great that it was all she could do to overcome herself. She could not explain herself to her superior, as she would have wished. She was also not able to sleep because of the pain of the wound which produced such heat that it burned and consumed her alive.

From the time of this first revelation, Margaret would suffer every first Friday of the month a renewed pain in her side, up until the time of her death. It was at these times that the Lord would manifest what he required of her and disclose to her the secrets of His loving Heart.

Jesus said to her on one occasion: “I search for a victim of My Heart, someone who would want to sacrifice herself as an immolated host for the fulfillment of my designs.” In her great humility, Margaret proposed to the Lord various souls, whom she thought would be worthy and faithfully correspond to such a grace. But the Lord answered that it was she whom He had chosen. This would disturb Margaret greatly, since she feared to be recognized personally for the graces she received from the Lord.

Second Revelation
One or two months after the first apparition, the second revelation took place. St. Margaret Mary wrote:

“The Divine Heart was presented to me in a throne of flames, more resplendent than a sun, transparent as crystal, with this adorable wound. And it was surrounded with a crown of thorns, signifying the punctures made in it by our sins, and a cross above signifying that from the first instant of His Incarnation, that is, as soon as the Sacred Heart was formed, the cross was implanted into it and from the first moment it was filled with all the sorrow to be inflicted on it by the humiliations, poverty, pain, and scorn of His sacred humanity was to endure throughout His life and during His sacred passion.”

“And He (Jesus) made me see that He intensely desired to be loved by men and to snatch them from the path of perdition onto which Satan was driving them in throngs. It was this that made Him decide to manifest His heart to men -with all the treasures of love, mercy, graces, sanctification and salvation it contained. Thus, all who wanted to render to Him and obtain for Him all the love, honor and glory in their power would be enriched with the abundance and profusion of these divine treasures of the heart of God which was their source. This heart of God must be honored under the form of His heart of flesh, whose image He wanted exposed, and also worn on me and on my heart. He promised to pour out into the hearts of all those who honor the image of His heart all the gifts it contains in fullness, and for all those who would wear this image on their persons He promised to imprint His love on their hearts and to destroy all unruly inclinations. Everywhere this holy image was exposed to be honored, He would pour fourth His graces and blessings. This blessing was, as it were, a final effort of His love. He wanted to bestow upon men during these final centuries such loving redemption in order to snatch them from the control of Satan, whom He intended to destroy. He willed to place us under the sweet freedom of His rule of love, which He wanted to re-establish in the hearts of all who were willing to embrace this devotion.”

In this second great revelation, Our Lord began to unfold His intentions and to formulate His promises. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the symbol of His ardent love for us. This image was to be exhibited in homes or worn on the breast, especially in the form of a medal, offering promises of graces and blessing to all who would venerate it. But for the moment, Margaret could not reveal anything of what she had seen, because the time had not come to do so. These revelations would first have to endure trial and suffer great opposition. And there was a lot more that Jesus desired to reveal.

Third revelation
Although this apparition has not been dated with certainty, we have good reason to think it took place in the beginning of June, 1674, most probably on Friday within the Octave of the Feast of Corpus Christi, for Margaret Mary had said that “the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.”

“Once, among other occasions, when the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, after feeling completely drawn inward by an extraordinary recollection of all my senses and powers, Jesus Christ, my gentle Master, appeared to me resplendent with glory, with His five wounds shining like five suns, and flames issuing from every part of His sacred humanity. But above all, from His adorable breast which looked like a furnace; and uncovering His breast, He showed me His most loving and lovable heart, which was the living source of these flames.”

At that time Jesus explained to her the marvels of His pure love, and to what extent His love for mankind had gone although He received from them nothing but ingratitude. This apparition was greater than the rest. As a passionate lover, He complained about the ingratitude of His loved ones, and as a divine beggar, stretched out His hand to request our love.

The most memorable part of this series of apparitions occurred when Jesus pronounced these words: “Behold this heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to the point of spending itself and being consumed to prove its love to them. And in return, I receive from most men only ingratitude, because of their irreverence and sacrileges and the coldness and scorn they have for Me in this Sacrament of love. But what offends Me most is that hearts consecrated to Me act in this way. Do thou at least console Me by supplying for their ingratitude, as far as thou art able.”

After hearing these words, Margaret could only express to Jesus her impotence, and He replied: “Behold, this will supply for all that is wanting in thee.” And at the same time His Divine Heart, being opened, issued a flame so ardent that she thought she should be consumed, for she was wholly penetrated within it, and no longer being able to bear it, she asked Him to have pity on her weakness. He then responded:

“I will be thy strength, fear nothing, but be attentive to My voice and to what I shall require of thee that thou mayest be in the requisite dispositions for the accomplishment of My designs.”

The Lord then described to her exactly how the practice of devotion to His Sacred Heart would come about, along with its purpose, which is reparation. Finally, Jesus Himself warned her about the temptations with which the Devil will try to deceive her.

“In the first place thou shalt receive Me in Holy Communion as often as obedience will permit thee whatever mortification or humiliation it may cause thee, which thou must take as pledges of My love. Thou shalt, moreover, communicate on the First Friday of each month.

“Every night between Thursday and Friday I will make thee share in the mortal sadness which I was pleased to feel in the Garden of Olives, and this sadness, without thy being able to understand it, shall reduce thee to a kind of agony harder to endure than death itself.

“And in order to bear Me company in the humble prayer that I then offered to My Father, in the midst of my anguish, thou shalt rise between eleven o’clock and midnight, and remain prostrate with Me for an hour, not only to appease the divine anger by begging mercy for sinners, but also to mitigate in some way the bitterness which I felt at that time on finding Myself abandoned by My Apostles, which obliged Me to reproach them for not being able to watch one hour with Me. During that hour thou shalt do what I shall teach thee. But listen, My daughter, believe not lightly and trust every spirit, for Satan is enraged and will seek to deceive thee. Therefore do nothing without the approval of those who guide thee; being thus under the authority of obedience, his efforts against thee will be in vain, for he has no power over the obedient.”

Fourth Revelation
It was after meeting Father Colombière that Margaret received the fourth and last revelation, the one relating to the creation of a feast in honor of the Sacred Heart.

It took place during the course of the octave of Corpus Christi, in the year 1675, between the thirteenth and the twentieth of June. Margaret said: “Being before the Blessed Sacrament one day of Its Octave, I received from God signal tokens of His love, and felt urged by the desire of making Him some return, and of rendering Him love for love.”

He said: “Thou canst not make Me a greater return of love than by doing what I have so often asked of thee.” Then, showing her His Divine Heart, He said: “Behold this Heart, Which has loved men so much, that It has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify to them Its love; and in return I receive from the greater number nothing but ingratitude by reason of their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt which they show Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel the most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat me thus. Therefore, I ask of thee that the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special Feast to honor my Heart, by communicating on that day and making reparation to It by a solemn act, in order to make amends for the indignities which It has received during the time It has been exposed on the altars. I promise thee that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its divine love upon those who shall thus honor It, and cause It to be honored.”

June 14th
What Makes Him Tick?

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! When I meditate on the motives which should induce me to love and attach myself to the cross, I feel ready to embrace sufferings of every kind; but when they present themselves, I am dismayed and my courage forsakes me. Sometimes even I give way to impatience, murmuring and discouragement. Grant me grace, O Jesus, to be resigned and patient under all the afflictions it may please Thy divine providence to have in store for me. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body; assistance in my temporal needs; place Thy blessing on all that I do; and grant me the grace of a holy death. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Divine Jesus who has said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," behold me prostrate at your feet.

Animated with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by Thy Sacred Heart and pronounced by Thy adorable lips. I come to ask Thy aid. (mention your request)

From whom shall I ask, O sweet Jesus, if not from Thee, Whose heart is an inexhaustible source of all graces and merits?

Where shall I seek, if not from the Treasure which contains all the riches of Thy clemency and bounty?

Where shall I knock if it be not at the door of Thy Sacred Heart, through which God Himself comes to us, and through which we go to God?

To Thee then, O Heart of Jesus, I have recourse. In Thee I find consolation when afflicted; protection when persecuted; strength when overwhelmed with trials; and light in doubt and darkness.

I firmly believe Thou canst bestow on me the grace I implore, even though it should require a miracle. Thou hast only to will it and my prayer will be granted.

I know I am most unworthy of Thy favors, O Jesus, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. Thou art the God of mercies and Thou will not refuse a contrite and humble heart.

Cast upon me a look of pity, I beg Thee, and Thy compassionate Heart will find, in my miseries and weakness, a pressing motive for granting my petition.

But, O Sacred Heart, whatever may be Thy decision with regard to my request, I will never cease to adore, love, praise and serve Thee.

Deign, O Jesus, to accept my act of perfect submission to the decrees of Thy adorable Heart, which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all Thy creatures forever and ever. Amen.

What Makes The Sacred Heart Tick
The easy answer is, of course, LOVE or CHARITY. “God is charity” (1 John 4:8). Yet that is merely a chapter heading that permits much more to said, as St. Paul points out: “Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). That in itself is a very painful meditation! How patient are you? How angry do you get? How often do you think evil of others? Or rejoice at having uncovered the sins and faults of others? How big a burden are you ready to bear and endure? Do we look for the truth, or do we look for what we think the truth should be?

If there is anyone who carries out these virtues that are linked to charity, then it is the Sacred Heart of Jesus! As the Sacred Heart said to St. Margaret Mary: “My Divine Heart is so passionately inflamed with love for men … It must … manifest Itself to men, that they may be enriched with … the sanctifying and salutary graces that are necessary to hold them back from the abyss of ruin.” In Holy Scripture, we read that: “For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God sent not His Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by Him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus Himself says: “And if any man hear my words, and keep them not, I do not judge him: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). “See that you despise not one of these little ones … For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:10-11).

However, Not All Will Be Saved
“Many are called, but few are chosen! … Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Matthew 22:14; 7:13-14). “And a certain man said to Him: ‘Lord, are they few that are saved?’ But He said to them: ‘Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: “Lord, open to us!” And he answering, shall say to you: “I know you not, whence you are!”’ ” (Luke 13:23-25). “Not everyone that saith to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 7:21) … “Why call you Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). “If any one love Me, he will keep My word … He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words” (John 14:23-24).

Mercy Makes Him Tick
Mercy is one of rooms in the house of charity. Our Lord Himself says: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). However, there will be “judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy” (James 2:13). To Sr. Mary of the Trinity, Jesus says: “No soul will enter My paradise without having forgiven [someone] at least once” (from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller). Straight away we will say: “Oh, I forgave someone once! That means I don’t have to forgive anymore!” This is, in essence, what St. Peter said to Our Lord: “Then came Peter unto Him and said: ‘Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?’ Jesus saith to him: ‘I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times!’” (Matthew 18:21-22). “Go then and learn what this meaneth, ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice!’ For I am not come to call the just, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).

To Sr. Consolata Betrone, Jesus says: “Now do you understand how much My parental Heart is wounded by every severe judgment, reprimand, or condemnation, even though based on truth, and how much comfort, on the other hand, is afforded Me by every act of compassion, indulgence and mercy? You must never judge anyone; never say a harsh word against anyone; instead, console My Heart, distract Me from My sorrow; with eager charity make Me see only the good side of a guilty soul. I will believe you, and then I will hear your prayer in her favor and will grant it. If you only knew how I suffer when I must dispense justice! You see, My Heart needs to be comforted; It wishes to dispense mercy, not justice!” (from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller).

Ah! How hard it is for us—who love to condemn and jump at the chance—to hear words like these! We prefer to be the James’ and Johns of this world, who indignantly cried out to Our Lord, when they saw how His preaching was being rejected, ready to call down fire and brimstone from Heaven: “And when His disciples James and John had seen this, they said: ‘Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them?’” (Luke 9:54). Our Lord’s reply was not what they expected to hear: “And turning, He rebuked them, saying: ‘You know not of what spirit you are! The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save!’” (Luke 9:55-56). “The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 102:8) … “The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 144:8-9).

Your Ways Are Not My Ways!
Our problem is that we are too human and not divine enough! Jesus says: “You judge according to the flesh: I judge not any man” (John 8:15). We may well have divine grace within us, but we subjugate it to the mean human spirit. We forget that God’s ways are not our ways: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God: for He is bountiful to forgive. For My thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are My ways exalted above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts” (Isaias 55:7-9). Our Lord said to Sr. Mary of the Trinity: “I cherish each soul with a tenderness of which your human love has no conception. Do you not understand that? They must be loved for My sake! Strive to make it known to all” (from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller).

Our Judgments Will Be Our Judgment
As we judge, so shall we be judged—better to judge with the spirit of Our Lord, than judge with our mean little human spirit. Our Lord would well say to most of us: “You know not of what spirit you are! The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save!” Mercy makes the Sacred Heart ‘tick’, and the merciless ‘tick Him off’! “Judge not, that you may not be judged! For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again! And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye!” (Matthew 7:1-5).

“A merciful man doth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel casteth off even his own kindred” (Proverbs 11:17). “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). However, there will be “judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment” (James 2:13). “Go then and learn what this meaneth, ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice!’ For I am not come to call the just, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).

He Rejoices In Transforming Sinners Into Saints
Our Lord delights in fixing souls, as He revealed to Sr. Mary of the Trinity: “It is My grace that gives souls their beauty and that animates them. It is with coal that I make diamonds. What would I not do with a soul, however black she might be, who would give herself to Me ... Yes, I can transform all ugliness into beauty―all poverty into spiritual wealth―all sin into a source of grace―all rancor into forgiveness―into sweetness all bitterness―into joy all sadness―all suffering into Redemption ... when you give them to Me and let Me act … “With ruins, on ruins, I can build magnificently. It gives Me joy to use that which has humbled itself before Me” (from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller).

To Sr. Consolata Betrone, Jesus explained: “A true mother will not consider her child ugly, no matter how much it may be so; to her it is always lovely, and so it will always remain in her innermost heart. That is precisely the way My Heart feels toward souls: though they be ugly, soiled, filthy, My love considers them always beautiful. I suffer when their ugliness is confirmed to Me; on the other hand, I rejoice when, in conformity with My parental sentiments, someone dissuades Me about their ugliness and tells Me that it is not true and that they are still beautiful. The souls are Mine; for them I have given all My Blood!” (from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller).

Pious and Devout Souls Often Lack Confidence in Jesus
Jesus, in speaking to Sr. Consolata Betrone, points out his disappointment with devout souls who lack confidence in Him and the possibility of their salvation: “Consolata, it often happens that good and pious souls, and very frequently also souls who are consecrated to Me, wound My Heart to Its very depths by some diffident phrase such as: ‘Who knows whether I will be saved?”

“Open the Gospel and read there My promises. I promised to My sheep: ‘I will give them life everlasting; and they shall not perish forever, and no man shall pluck them out of My Hand.’ Do you understand, Consolata? No one can take a soul from Me! Now read on: ‘That which My Father hath given Me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of the Hand of My Father.’ Do you understand, Consolata? No one can snatch a soul from Me.... In all eternity they will not perish ... because I give them eternal life. For whom have I spoken these words? For all the sheep, for all souls! Why then the insult, ‘Who knows whether I will be saved?’ I have given assurances, in the Gospel, that no one can pluck a soul from Me and that I will give that soul eternal life, and so the soul cannot perish. Believe Me, Consolata, into Hell go only those who really wish to go there; for, though no one can snatch a soul from Me, the soul may, through the free will granted her, flee from Me, may betray Me, deny Me, and so go to Satan of her own volition.

“Oh, if instead of wounding My Heart with such distrust, you would give a little thought to the Heaven which awaits you! I did not create you for Hell, but for Heaven, not as a companion for the devil, but to enjoy Me in everlasting love! You see, Consolata, to Hell go only those who wish to go there ... How foolish is your fear of being damned! [Remember, He is speaking of good, devout souls here]. After having shed My Blood in order to save your soul, after having surrounded your soul with graces upon graces all through your entire existence ... would I permit Satan, My worst enemy, to rob Me of that soul, at the last moment of her life, just when I am about to gather in the fruit of the Redemption and when, therefore, that soul is on the point of loving Me forever? Would I do that, when in the Holy Gospel I have promised to give the soul eternal life and that no one can snatch her from My Hands?

“How is it possible to believe such a monstrosity? You see, final impenitence is found only in a soul who purposely wishes to go to Hell and therefore obstinately refuses My mercy, for I never refuse to pardon anyone. I offer the gift of My immense compassion to all, for My Blood was shed for all, for all! No, it is not the multiplicity of sins which condemns a soul, for I forgive everything if she repents, but it is the obstinacy of not wishing to be pardoned, of wishing to be damned! Dismas on the cross had only one single act of faith in Me, but many, many sins; he was pardoned in an instant, however, and on the very day of his repentance he entered into My kingdom and is a saint! Behold the triumph of My Mercy and of Faith in Me!

“No, My Father who has given Me the souls is greater and more powerful than all the demons. No one can snatch souls from the Hand of My Father!” (Words of Our Lord spoken to Sr. Consolata Betrone, from Words of Love, by Fr. Gottemuller).

June 15th
A Blow to the Heart!

PRAYER OF
ST. MARGARET MARY
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

The Wound in the Sacred Heart
Jesus had breathed forth His last sigh on the hard wood of the cross, and there only remained on Calvary, Mary, the mother of the Savior, Mary Magdalen, and the apostle, St. John. There were many who followed Him while He performed miracles, but few who followed onto Calvary.

Nothing has changed since then. As the Imitation of Christ says: “Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection.” (The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, chapter 11).

A soldier arrives, he draws near, and gazes on the lifeless body of Jesus. “He is dead,” he exclaims, “but I will strike him once more;” and aiming his spear at the right side of the Redeemer, he pierces it, and the sharp point of the lance enters in and opens that divine Heart. As he withdraws the weapon, water and blood gush forth from the wound. In the words of St. John: “Immediately there came out blood and water” (John 19:34). These were the last tears, the last drops of blood from the Sacred Heart: truly a miracle of love, a mystery which contains in itself many mysteries!

St. Bernard says: “Jesus willed that His Heart should be wounded, in order that through the visible wound we might contemplate the invisible wound of love.” He willed that His Heart should be pierced, so that we might enter without hindrance, and find there both a shelter and a refuge. This adorable Heart, open to all, will never be closed; just and sinners can take shelter there without fear of being rejected. Wounds inflicted on the dead can never heal; that in the Heart of Jesus was made by death and love, and it will ever remain open to proclaim to all succeeding generations, that it was thus that the Savior loved mankind: “Sic dilexit” — “So loved” (John 3:16).

Source of Grace
This wound is a fruitful source of graces; the water which burst forth, the blood which flowed from it, are the types of the precious favors of mercy and love. Let us, then, go and there seek the assistance of which we stand in need; if we are weak, this Heart will be our strength; if we are blind, It will be our light; if we are sorrowful, It will be our consolation. Let us exclaim with St. Gertrude: “O my Jesus my sweetest hope, may Thy divine Heart transfixed for me, be the sure refuge of my soul! I implore Thee, by Thy wounded Heart, to pierce mine with the sword of Thy love.”

Maybe those words sound too sentimental to you! Then pick your own words! Be who you are; say what you mean and mean what you say! Change St. Gertrude’s words into 21st century words: “Jesus, without You, I’ve got no chance—I’m a goner! You let them beat you, nail you, and pierce you to death! That should have been me on that Cross, not You! Break my heart, Lord, break this sinful heart of stone and give me a real heart, a heart of flesh, so that, for once in my life, I start to love You as You deserve to be loved!”

Is not this sacred wound of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and its last outpouring of blood, the great resource reserved for the fearful evils of our bloody century? Is it not time to appeal to it, to take possession of and employ it for the deliverance of the Church, of our country, of society, and above all of poor sinners? “Without Me, you can do nothing!” says the Sacred Heart (John 15:5). “You ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss!” (James 4:3). “Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened!” (Matthew 7:7-8). “Hitherto you have not asked anything in My Name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

Let us enter this very day into the divine Heart; Jesus Himself invites us, saying, as He formerly did to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: “Behold the place of thy abode.” Or if you prefer modern language: “Hey, get yourself in here! Right now!” Let us there remain for the rest of our lives, so that at death we may be able to say with Father de Ravignan: “How glorious a gate is the wound of the Heart of Jesus by which to enter Heaven!”

The Power of the Lance
Towards the end of the eleventh century, our forefathers in the Faith, obedient to the voice of the Sovereign Pontiff, formed the noble design of withstanding the barbarity of the Turks, who threatened to overrun Europe, and to deliver, from the power of the Turks, the sepulcher of Jesus Christ. After several splendid victories the Christians took possession of Antioch, the capital of the East, where, however, they were soon besieged by the Prince of Mossoul at the head of 300,000 soldiers. Driven to desperation by hunger, the hitherto brave soldiers felt, for the first time, their courage give way.

It is related, in the history of the Church, that a holy priest of Marseilles, named Bartholomew, was inspired to seek, in a particular spot, for the lance which pierced the Heart of the Savior, the finding of which would be a certain pledge of the complete triumph of the Christians over the enemy's forces.

The lance was found, and preceded by this glorious token of victory the Crusaders issued forth from Antioch. At the sight of the sacred spear the Turkish troops were seized with a sudden panic; the weapons fell from their hands, they fled on all sides, and the countless dead that lay on the ground testified to their entire defeat.

From whence had the lance of Calvary drawn its strength and power? From the Heart of Jesus, which it had pierced; from that precious Blood which it had caused to flow, and with which it was empurpled.

O happy lance had I been in your place, I should never have wished to leave my Savior's side; I would have said: “This shall be my rest for ever.” But what wonders will not the Heart of Jesus effect when It deigns to dwell in our own hearts in Holy Communion? By It we shall conquer all the enemies of our salvation, and obtain the crown of the blessed in Heaven.

June 16th
Water, Water, Everywhere!
But Does Anyone Want To Drink?

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars.

We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

“But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water” (John 19:34).

Surrounded By Water—Literally and Metaphorically
Covering about 70% of its surface, water is at once earth’s most abundant natural resource and a basic necessity for human life. This was particularly felt by the people of the ancient Near East, where water was often in scarce supply. Accordingly, they commonly lived along river banks and other bodies of water or dug wells in order to provide a supply of available water for drinking and cleansing as well as for irrigation purposes so as to ensure the fertility of the land.

Man’s common experience with water in its various sources often appears in idiomatic expressions. For example, something that stimulates the appetite is said to “make one’s mouth water.” A past event is called “water under the bridge.” Something that is “watered down” may be less potent or effective. A simplified explanation of the make-up or workings of a complicated device or the basic idea of a difficult problem may also be expressed by the same idiom.

If you are “sold down the river” you are betrayed but if one has been “up the river” he has been confined to a penitentiary. If no experience is precisely the same, it is because a person never “steps into the same river.” A “stream” of something can refer to a crowd of people passing by or to heavy traffic. One can experience a “stream” of light or shed a “stream” of tears. In literature, a “stream of consciousness” refers to the recalling of the thoughts or perceptions of a particular character. One often can see “streamers” of ribbon or paper set-up as banners heralding some unusual event or the arrival of an important person. An event that reflects a center of man’s common activity or an idea/thought that reflects current opinion or thinking is said to be “mainstream.”

Other idioms include the metaphor of springs as a source of further information or expectations. Thus as Pope’s often cited observation expresses it, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” A source of knowledge can be likened to a fountain. Likewise, a well may indicate a source of information or that which accumulates. Thus tears “well-up” in a person’s eyes. People often “pool” their resources such as in the allocation of funds or in order to conserve gasoline, they form a driving “pool.”

Heavy rain can be described as “raining cats and dogs,” while those in the midst of battle may experience bullets “raining around them.” Showers may likewise indicate an abundant flow of something such as compliments, praise, or honor. Gifts are usually given in a bridal or baby “shower.” On the one hand, the dew may serve as a symbol of refreshment or purity, while on the other hand, it can refer to that which is transitory or rapidly disappearing.

Water, water – everywhere! If one just stops to think! Water, water – everywhere! A deeply symbolic link! Water, water – everywhere! What on earth are we to think? Water, water – everywhere! Through it we swim to Heaven, or sink!

God and Water
Water is a symbol of the grace of God. We see water cover everything at the moment of God’s creation: “And God said: ‘Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters!’ And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament” (Genesis 1:6-7).

In day five of creation we find that, in Genesis 1:20, God said "Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life..." This passage shows us that life comes out of the water. In the natural birth process that is true also. After conception we continue to develop and grow in what is essentially a sack of water inside the womb. When a woman is in labor and the baby is about to be born, we wait for that 'water to break' so that the baby can come forth into life.

Noe the Waterman
Later, water again would cover the whole earth in the time of Noe: “And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times, it repented Him that He had made man on the earth. And being touched inwardly with sorrow of heart, He said: ‘I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth!’ … Behold I will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, under heaven. All things that are in the earth shall be consumed” (Genesis 6:5-6, 16). Water (grace) would purify the earth and destroy sin. Similarly, the water of Baptism purifies the soul and pours in grace.

To Noe, Gods says: “Make thee an ark of timber planks … and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee … Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee” (Genesis 6:14, 18, 21). “And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth. For they overflowed exceedingly: and filled all on the face of the earth: and the ark was carried upon the waters … The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered” (Genesis 7:17-20). The Sacred Heart is our ark of salvation who was also “lifted high from the earth”—“Jesus therefore said to them: ‘When you shall have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know, that I am he!’” (John 8:28) ... “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself” (John 12:32). The Sacred Heart, being lifted up on the Cross, draws us into the Ark of His Heart, where we find salvation from the flood of iniquity. Just as the waters were fifteen cubits above the tops of the mountains, so too is grace in greater abundance than the evil in the world: “Where sin abounded, grace did more abound” (Romans 5:20).

Moses the Waterman
The word “Moses” means “taken from the water”. Water played a major role in the life of Moses—from the very first day of his life, in fact. His life was saved by being placed in a ‘mini-ark’ in the waters of the Egyptian river.

“Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive ... a man of the house of Levi took a wife of his own kindred. And she conceived, and bore a son; and seeing him a goodly child hid him three months. And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe [Moses] therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river’s brink … And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river’s brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought, she opened it and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews. And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: ‘Because I took him out of the water’” (Exodus 1:22; 2:1-10).

Moses the Water-changer
Later in life, water again would be a landmark in the life of Moses. God commands Moses to use his rod to turn the waters of the rivers of Egypt into blood: “And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Pharao’s heart is hardened, he will not let the people go. Go to him in the morning, behold, he will go out to the waters: and thou shalt stand to meet him on the bank of the river: and thou shalt take in thy hand the rod that was turned into a serpent. And thou shalt say to him: “The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee saying: ‘Let my people go to sacrifice to me in the desert!’ and hitherto thou wouldst not hear. Thus therefore saith the Lord: “In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold I will strike with the rods that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood”’ ” (Exodus 7:14-17).

Through Waters to Safety
Water would again play a prominent part in the life of Moses when he became the savior of his people and led them out of Egypt (a symbol of sin) through the dangerous desert (a symbol of the dangers of our world), to the Promised Land (a symbol of Heaven). Moses was merely a figure or type of Jesus, who would lead us out of sin and lead us through the dangers of this life to Heaven.

We all know of Moses’ encounter with water, on the shores of the Red Sea, when, by the power and intervention of God, Moses parts with his rod—enabling the Israelites to cross safely and escape from the clutches of Pharao’s pursuing Egyptian soldiers: “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand over the sea, and divide it: that the children of Israel may go through the midst of the sea on dry ground” (Exodus 14:16). The parting of the waters can be seen to symbolic of the parting of Our Lord’s side on Calvary, by the lance of Longinus, which produced a red sea of blood and water.

Moses Sweetens Water with Wood
Moses goes from one kind of water to another! “And Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went forth into the wilderness: and they marched three days through the wilderness, and found no water. And they came into Mara, and they could not drink the waters of Mara, because they were bitter: whereupon he gave a name also agreeable to the place, calling it Mara, that is, bitterness. And the people murmured against Moses, saying: ‘What shall we drink?’ But he cried to the Lord, and He showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, they were turned into sweetness” (Exodus 15:22-25). It is the tree of the Cross of Christ that takes away the bitterness of the sinful waters that we drink. The cross purifies us from the bitterness that sinful waters have brought to us.

Moses Brings Water from the Rock
Twice during the Exodus from Egypt (at Sinai and again at Kadesh), the Israelites complained to God about lack of water, and twice Moses brought water out of rock miraculously with his staff. “Then all the multitude of the children of Israel setting forward from the desert of Sin, where there was no water for the people to drink. And they chided with Moses, and said: ‘Give us water, that we may drink!’ And Moses answered them: ‘Why chide you with me? Wherefore do you tempt the Lord?’ So the people were thirsty there for want of water, and murmured against Moses, saying: ‘Why didst thou make us go forth out of Egypt, to kill us and our children, and our beasts with thirst?’ And Moses cried to the Lord, saying: ‘What shall I do to this people? Yet a little more and they will stone me!’ And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Go before the people, and take with thee of the ancients of Israel: and take in thy hand the rod wherewith thou didst strike the river, and go. Behold I will stand there before thee, upon the rock Horeb: and thou shalt strike the rock, and water shall come out of it that the people may drink!’” (Exodus 17:1-6).

Moses Repeats the Water Miracle
The Book of Numbers has an even more detailed account of another, that took place many years later: “The children of Israel came into the desert of Sin; and the people wanting water, came together against Moses and Aaron: and making a sedition, they said: ‘Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord! Why have you brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die? Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink?’

“And Moses and Aaron leaving the multitude, went into the tabernacle of the covenant, and fell flat upon the ground, and cried to the Lord, and said: ‘O Lord God, hear the cry of this people, and open to them Thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that being satisfied, they may cease to murmur!’ And the glory of the Lord appeared over them. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take the rod, and assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink!’ Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded him, and, having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: ‘Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous! Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?’ And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank” (Numbers 20:1-11).

In the desert, Moses struck the rock and water flowed from it, and provided sustenance for the Israelites, as well as preserving life. As St. Paul says: “And all in Moses were baptized, in the sea: and did all eat the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:2-4). The rock that Moses struck with his rod to produce water, is a symbol of the Sacred Heart that Longinus pierced with his lance and caused water and blood to flow forth. The treasures that flow forth from His Heart give us spiritual sustenance and preserve spiritual life.

Moses Purifies and Punishes With Water
When Moses had come down from the mountain, after his long encounter with God, he found that the Israelites had made themselves a false god—the golden calf. “And laying hold of the calf which they had made, he burnt it, and beat it to powder, which he threw into water, and gave thereof to the children of Israel to drink” (Exodus 32:20).

Waterless Moses
“And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights: he neither ate bread nor drank water, and he wrote upon the tables the ten words of the covenant” (Exodus 34:28). Going waterless is a kind of penance. Our Lord would also do this centuries later, during His forty days and forty nights in the desert—or at least spent long periods without water. He has also kept some of His saints miraculously alive without water for long periods, even many years. Drought was a form of punishment used by God to enforce penance upon sinful people and nations. Being waterless can also be symbolic of lacking the grace of God.

The Water Sacrament That Saves
After physical birth (‘water birth’ from the womb), must come “spiritual birth” (‘water birth’ in Baptism) as we see in John 3 when Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, is asking questions of Jesus: “And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night, and said to Him: ‘Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.’ Jesus answered, and said to him: ‘Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God!’ Nicodemus saith to Him: ‘How can a man be born, when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again?’ Jesus answered: ‘Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!’” (John 3:1-5).

Water, Water, Everywhere… But Will Anyone Drink?
There are literally hundreds of occasions where water is mentioned in one way or another in Holy Scripture—too many to cover here! Scripture speaks of water as giving and sustaining life, water as a means of purification, water as symbolizing the word of God, water as form of punishment, water as a means to getting to one’s destination.

Water is the object of miracles: water is changed into wine (Cana); water is changed into blood (Moses); water supports Jesus and Peter walking upon it; water parts and allows a whole nation to walk between its walls of water!

Water is an absolutely necessary commodity. “The principal things necessary for the life of men, are water…” (Ecclesiasticus 39:31). Water is the fundamental building block of all known life forms. If you're ever stuck out in the wilderness, remember what survival experts call “the Rule of Threes”. You can live for 3 minutes without air, though we don't recommend trying. In a harsh environment — let’s say a blizzard in sub-zero temperature — you have 3 hours to survive without shelter. After 3 days, you need water or you'll perish. You can make it 3 weeks without food, though we promise you that won't be fun. There are organisms that can survive indefinitely without oxygen, or in boiling temperatures, or in near absolute zero freezing environments, or even in the radioactive vacuum of space – but absolutely nothing can live without water. The same is true of God’s water—GRACE.

Our Lord said: “Without Me, you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). The full context is: “I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me, that beareth not fruit, He will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, He will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit … Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-15). God abides in us by His divine grace. His grace perfects our nature. We need His grace to perform the least supernatural and meritorious action. We can compare His grace to water—in fact, the early Church Fathers refer to grace as water that we carry around in fragile vessels or vases.

However, God will not force His water of grace upon us—as the saying goes: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!"

Our Lord Offers Divine Water
St. John the Baptist said: “I have baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And forthwith coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Mark 1:8-11). “And Jesus, being baptized, forthwith came out of the water” (Matthew 3:16).

“Christ loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life” (Romans 5:25-26). “And he said: ‘I am Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely!’” (Apocalypse 21:6). “And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Apocalypse 22:1).

The “Water of God” is His Grace. The “Water of God” is the Word of God. The “Water of God” is found in the Sacraments. The “Water of God” is found in prayer and meditation. St. Teresa of Avila, in the book of her Life, gave a well-known classification of the degrees of prayer:

“It seems to me that the garden can be watered in four ways: by manually drawing the water from a well, which costs us great labor; or by a water-wheel and buckets, when the water is drawn by a windlass—it is less laborious than the other and gives more water; or by a stream or a brook, which waters the ground much better, for it saturates it more thoroughly and there is less need to water it often, so that the gardener’s labor is much less; or by heavy rain, when the Lord waters it with no labor of ours, a way which is incomparably better than any of those which have been described. Beginners in prayer, we may say, are those who draw up the water out of the well: this, as I have said, is a very laborious process, for it will fatigue them to keep their senses recollected, which is a great labor, because they have been accustomed to a life of distraction … Then they have to try to meditate upon the life of Christ and this fatigues their minds …This is what is meant by beginning to draw up water from the well” (Life, xi; pp.65-66).

June 17th
At The Cross Roads!

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

The Sign and Example of the Cross
Why does Our Lord show us His Heart surmounted by a cross? It is to remind us that the whole of His passion was summed up in His Heart, which was the seat of suffering as of love. The sufferings of His body were indeed great; the most holy victim was insulted, torn, wounded in a thousand ways. “From the feet to the head, His body was but one wound.” And be assured, that the sufferings of His soul, the unseen wounds of His Sacred Heart, were still greater.

The cross had its place in His heart before it was erected on Calvary; for, during His life, He burned with the desire to be baptized with the baptism of blood He was to receive on the cross. “I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized: and how am I straitened until it be accomplished?” (Luke 12:50). Yes, it was His Heart that first suffered, which was filled with bitterness, was torn and sacrificed. Listen to the cry of anguish that was heard in the garden of Olives: “My soul is sorrowful even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). O how overwhelmed, how crushed must this tender Heart have been for Him to give utterance to such words, He who was so courageous under suffering; and let us not forget that the love of Jesus for us was the cause of all He endured. “He loved us and gave Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2).

It is the cross that Jesus wants to share with us, as He Himself tells us: “And he said to all: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me!’” (Luke 9:23). “And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me!” (Matthew 10:38).

St. Paul often glories in the cross of Christ: “The word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God … But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23). “For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). “That I may live to God: with Christ I am nailed to the cross” (Galatians 2:19).

“O Lord!” exclaimed St. Francis of Assisi, “it was love that caused Thee to descend from Heaven to Earth, and induced Thee to pass in the world as one despised. In Thy life and death Thou didst show forth a boundless love; it was love that raised Thy cross, and love nailed Thee to it; Thou wert its slave and victim!”

Christians, the cross is the daily bread that your heavenly Father fails not to provide for His elect. “Without the cross and the Blessed Sacrament I could not live,” were the words of St. Margaret Mary; and truly each day our hearts need a certain amount of suffering to detach us from this miserable world and conform us to Jesus, our head. Refuse not then this cross, these thorns, these nails, which make your life a painful martyrdom; for each wound of your heart, each torment of your soul, increases your likeness to the crucified Redeemer. Accept, as coming from the hand of your Lord, the cross He gives you to carry; the soul which knows the value of the cross, delights to suffer, and love softens suffering by remembering that HEAVEN IS ITS REWARD.

EXAMPLE

A pious and devoted mother was at the point of death; her cure was hopeless unless she submitted to a fearful operation, which the surgeons recommended her to undergo. Wishing to live for her son's sake, but above all in order to secure the salvation of her only child, the courageous woman placed herself in the hands of the operators. Her son, at her desire, was present, and she witnessed, without shuddering, all the preparations for the dreadful ordeal.

At that period the producing of insensibility, through the agency of chloroform or ether, had not been discovered; even if it had, she would most probably have refused to place herself under its influence; she possessed a spiritual drug more powerful and efficacious. The terrible operation began; not even a sigh was heard, nor did a cry escape her; but just at the finish, when the sharp edge of the knife approached too near the heart, the poor woman moved slightly, and gently murmured: “O my God!” It was then that the son, in a frenzy of grief, at the sight of the lacerated breast which had nourished him, uttered a blasphemous imprecation. “My son!” said his mother, “Be silent! You give me more pain than the operators, for you insult Him who strengthens and consoles me!” and, opening her hand, she showed him a small crucifix she held, to which she owed the courage she had shown.

After several months of great suffering, this heroic woman died, blessing her son, and saying to him: “Keep my cross, it has given me such consolation.” The crucifix has ever since been preserved respectfully in the family, and it became for her son the most precious remembrance of his pious mother.

Christians, afflicted souls, preserve the cross of the Heart of Jesus, and it will comfort and save you.

June 18th
Flinging Flames!

PRAYER OF
ST. MARGARET MARY
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

A God of Fire
God is love (1 John 4:8) and this love, God, appeared to Moses as a fire. The God of love, in the Person of the Holy Ghost, also came down upon Our Lady and the Apostles at Pentecost in the form of fire—tongues of fire. Our Lord said that He came to cast fire on Earth: “I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49) and He shows us that kindling fire shooting forth fiery flames from His Sacred Heart.

If we don’t allow the Holy Ghost and the Sacred Heart to enkindle in our hearts the fires of Their love, while we are still living on this earth, then our charity is going to have to fired-up by the fires of Purgatory after we die. In a nutshell, we were made to burn! Either we burn the debt of sins with the fires of love in our hearts here below; or we burn for the debt of our sins in either Purgatory or, God forbid, Hell. God wants us to do it the least painful way—what do we want to do? It’s a simple logical case of burn now, or burn later!

Holy Scripture clearly alludes to this: “As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). “Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, Thou hast tried me by fire” (Psalms 16:3).

What strikes us most, in contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus, are the flames which consume and surround It. These mysterious flames cannot be contained even in that burning Heart; they escape through the wound, pass around the cross and among the thorns, covering and penetrating It completely. In a word, it is a burning Heart, an inflamed Heart. And what is this sacred fire which thus consumes the Heart of Jesus? It is the love which He has for us. “I am come,” said He, “to cast fire on the earth; and what will I but that it be kindled” (Luke 12: 49).

One day, discovering His breast to Margaret Alacoque, He said to her: “My Heart, loving passionately mankind, can no longer contain the flames of Its charity; it is necessary for It to manifest Itself to them, in order to enrich them with the treasures It contains.”

At another time, showing her again the interior of His adorable Heart, He represented It to her as a burning furnace, glowing with flames. Love was the life of the Heart of Jesus was the mainspring of all Its movements, and of Its sorrows. It was love that caused Him to be born, to act, to suffer, and to weep; it was love, finally, which made Him die. And in the divine Eucharist, it is love that induces Him to give Himself to us; to be our guest, our companion, our Savior, our food and nourishment. Fires of divine love spring forth from the Holy Eucharist, but we are still left feeling lukewarm, indifferent and nonchalant.

“O Lord!” exclaimed St. Gertrude, “if men but knew how Thou dolt love them: if Thou wouldst but discover to them the infinite riches of Thy Heart, they would all fall at Thy feet, and would love but Thee! O mystery of infinite charity and abyss of love!”

What answer would you give, O Christians if this good Master said to you, as He did to His disciple: “Lovest thou me? Dost thou give me heart for heart, love for love?” What would be your reply?

Examine yourselves, place your hand on your own heart and see if it beats with love for Jesus. Alas! Its affections are, perhaps, only for creatures; how few generous souls are there, how few hearts which really belong entirely to God, to Jesus Christ. How few are they who have infinite love. How do we manage not to love that which is so lovable? O let us ask of Him a tender love with which to love Him, a strong love to suffer for Him, a confiding love in order to be able to lean by turns on His Heart and on His cross! Heart of Jesus, celestial flame, divine fire, destroy in us all that is not pure, and grant that our affections may be entirely thine. May we live only for love and die of love.

EXAMPLE

A priest, Fr. Berlioux, relates the following conversion of a great sinner, in which the goodness of the Heart of Jesus is strikingly manifested:

Fr. Berlioux writes: “A young man, one of my parishioners, whose parents had given up the practice of their religion, became so impious and lawless that he scandalized even those who led bad lives. The excesses in which he indulged brought on an affection of the lungs, which, gradually developing, was slowly, but surely, leading him to the grave, visited him and gave him many proofs of the interest I took in him; but he met my advances with blasphemies and insults, refusing even to say one Hail Mary.

His state filled me with grief; a soul redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ was about to perish and fall into eternal fire. ‘My good friend,’ said I to one of my curates, ‘go at once to Paray-le-Monial; ask prayers for our poor dying man, and place his name in the Heart of Jesus.’

“He set off without delay, and the next day he was at Paray-le-Monial with the pilgrims from Dijon. Prayers were said and communions offered for the lost sheep, and his name was placed in a silver heart near the altar of the Heart of Jesus. Full of hope we went again to visit the sick man.

“‘I prayed for you at Paray,’ said the curate, ‘ and I have brought you a medal of the Sacred Heart.’

“‘I thank you,’ replied the dying sinner, and, calling his mother, he asked for a ribbon, to which he attached the medal, placed it round his neck, and even kissed it with respect.

“‘Now,’ said he, ‘I wish to go to confession, and it must be this very day.’ He made his confession, and received all the sacraments of the Church, to the great edification of all present. Whilst administered Extreme Unction, he said: ‘Do not hurry, father, I must follow what you say, and ask pardon for my sins! O how good is the Heart of Jesus in waiting for and pardoning me; if I could live longer how much I would love It.’ He died the following day, blessing the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

June 19th
For All Your Needs!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Divine Jesus who has said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," behold me prostrate at your feet. Animated with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart and pronounced by your adorable lips. I come to ask your aid. (mention your request)

From whom shall I ask, O sweet Jesus, if not from you whose heart is an inexhaustible source of all graces and merits? Where shall I seek if not from the treasure which contains all the riches of your clemency and bounty? Where shall I knock if it be not at the door of your Sacred Heart through which God himself comes to us and through which we go to God?

To you then, O Heart of Jesus, I have recourse. In you I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when overwhelmed with trials and light in doubt and darkness.

I firmly believe you can bestow on me the grace I implore even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted.

I know I am most unworthy of your favors, O Jesus, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite and humble heart. Cast upon me a look of pity, I conjure you, and your compassionate Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a pressing motive for granting my petition.

But, O Sacred Heart, whatever may be your decision with regard to my request I will never cease to adore, love, praise and serve you.

Deign, O Jesus, to accept my act of perfect submission to the decrees of your adorable Heart which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all your creatures forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body; assistance in my temporal needs; place Thy blessing on all that I do; and grant me the grace of a holy death

All You Need
In revealing His Heart, Jesus intended that we should place our trust in It. This is attested by St. Margaret Mary: “The Sacred Heart of Jesus,” she writes to Fr. Croiset, “wishes us to have recourse to Him in all our needs, entirely committing ourselves to His loving care, like children to their Father, who having brought us to life on the cross with so many pains, cannot fail to provide for all our wants” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, 3rd Letter to Fr. Croiset). And to Mother de Saumaise, St. Margaret Mary writes: “This divine Heart desires, as the source of all good, to establish Its reign in Its creatures, in order to supply their needs. Therefore It wishes us to turn to It with great confidence" (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 397).

This is the attitude and direction St. Margaret Mary took for herself: “I expect of the Sacred Heart of Jesus all the graces and mercy which I shall need; for I place all my trust in It” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 1, no. 303).

“I find in the Sacred Heart of my Jesus all that is wanting to my poverty, for It is full of mercy ... In It I sleep without worry and take my rest without anxiety ... This divine and loving Heart is all my hope; It is my refuge” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 790).

“I hope everything from the goodness of this loving Heart!” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 425).

She was zealous in communicating this confidence to others. In her letters she repeatedly points out the riches and treasures which the Heart of Jesus contains and offers to men.

“That is why He reveals to us the devotion to His sacred Heart, which contains incomprehensible treasures which He desires to pour forth on all well-disposed hearts” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 445).

“Would that I could manifest the infinite riches which are concealed in this treasure-house and which He places at the disposal of His faithful friends for their enjoyment” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 533).

And she multiplies the metaphors to explain to us how much the Heart of Jesus deserves our trust. “This divine Heart,” she writes, “is the treasure-house of Heaven, the precious gold of which is already given us to pay our debts and to purchase Heaven” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 556).

“It is an inexhaustible fountain from which there flow incessantly three streams: the first is the stream of mercy towards sinners ... the second is the stream of charity, which brings succor to those in need" (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 558).

“It is an abyss of riches, in which the poor must cast their wants ... an abyss of love, in which we must plunge our troubles” (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2, p. 558).

“It is a fortress and safe refuge to those who take shelter in it, in order to escape Divine Justice. It is a throne of mercy, where the distressed are welcomed, provided that charity brings them there from the depths of their sufferings. Enter into It, as a traveler goes aboard a trustworthy vessel, of which Love is the captain; It will lead you safe and sound through the rough seas of the world and guard you from rocks and storms. It is a priceless coin, marked with the stamp of goodness, with which men can pay their debts and arrange the important business of their eternal salvation'' (Life and Works of St. Margaret Mary, vol. 2).

The Church, too, recommends trust in the Sacred Heart and sets the example herself. The Church has approved and enriched with indulgences the invocation “Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee!”

In the Litany of the Sacred Heart, the Church bids us to invoke the Heart of Jesus as “full of kindness and love; of whose fullness we have all received; rich unto all that call upon It; source of all consolation; our peace and reconciliation; hope of those who died in It.”

She also exhorts us to it by the mouth of the Popes.

When Pius IX, in 1875, invited all the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart he stated: “In this divine Heart they will find an unassailable refuge against the spiritual dangers which surround them, strength of soul in the present troubles of the Church, solace and unshakable hope in the midst of all their afflictions.”

In his Encyclical, Annum Sacrum, after describing “the manifold troubles which afflict the world and incite us to implore the help of Him who alone has it in His power to avert them” (§ 14), Pope Leo XIII shows to the world the Heart of Jesus as its last hope, and exclaims: “When the Church in the early ages of her existence sighed under the yoke of the Caesars, a young emperor saw in the heavens a cross as a token of a magnificent and speedily approaching victory. So today another emblem, sacred and divine, appears before our eyes: it is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the Cross above It, all glowing with splendor, in the midst of surrounding flames. In It we must place all our hopes; to It we must look for the salvation of the human race” (§ 15).

In his Encyclical, Caritate Christi Compulsi  (May 3rd, 1932), “on offering prayer and expiation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the present distress of the human race”, Pope Pius XI writes: “let the faithful pour out to that merciful Heart that has known all the griefs of the human heart, the fullness of their sorrow, the steadfastness of their faith, their confident hopefulness and their ardent charity. Let them pray to Him, begging also the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of all graces, on behalf of themselves and their families, their country and the Church; let them pray to Him for the Vicar of Christ on earth and for all the other Pastors, who share with him the dread burden of the spiritual government of souls; let them pray for their brethren in the faith, for their brethren who still hold erroneous doctrine, for unbelievers, for infidels, even for the enemies of God and the Church, that they may be converted . . . The Divine Heart of Jesus cannot but be moved by the prayers and sacrifices of His Church, and He will finally say to His Spouse, weeping at His feet under the weight of so many griefs and woes: ‘Great is thy faith; be it done unto thee according to thy desire.’”

And the following year, 1933, he asked the members of the Apostleship of Prayer to pray during the month of June of that year and to offer their actions and sufferings, in particular “that the world might place its trust in the Heart of Jesus.”

June 20th
What On Earth Does He Want?

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Divine Jesus who has said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," behold me prostrate at your feet. Animated with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart and pronounced by your adorable lips. I come to ask your aid. (mention your request)

From whom shall I ask, O sweet Jesus, if not from you whose heart is an inexhaustible source of all graces and merits? Where shall I seek if not from the treasure which contains all the riches of your clemency and bounty? Where shall I knock if it be not at the door of your Sacred Heart through which God himself comes to us and through which we go to God?

To you then, O Heart of Jesus, I have recourse. In you I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when overwhelmed with trials and light in doubt and darkness.

I firmly believe you can bestow on me the grace I implore even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted.

I know I am most unworthy of your favors, O Jesus, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite and humble heart. Cast upon me a look of pity, I conjure you, and your compassionate Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a pressing motive for granting my petition.

But, O Sacred Heart, whatever may be your decision with regard to my request I will never cease to adore, love, praise and serve you.

Deign, O Jesus, to accept my act of perfect submission to the decrees of your adorable Heart which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all your creatures forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Lord Jesus Christ, to Thy most Sacred Heart I confide this intention {name petition}.

Only look upon me, then do what Thy love inspires. Let Thy Sacred Heart decide. I count on Thee. I trust in Thee. I throw myself on Thy mercy. Lord Jesus, Thou will not fail me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked Thee for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Thy open Heart. When the Eternal Father looks upon it, He will see it covered with Thy Precious Blood. It will be no longer my prayer, but Thine, Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee. Let me not be disappointed. Amen.

OFFERING TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Glory and Holiness
God essentially requires two things form us: (1) that we give Him glory, and (2) that we sanctify ourselves and be holy.

The Glory of God comes first—to give glory to God is a part of justice, it is what we owe to God: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His justice!” (Luke 12:31). “Every one that calleth upon My name, I have created him for My glory!” (Isaias 43:7). “The whole earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers 14:21). “Bring to the Lord glory and honor!” (Psalm 28:2). Give glory to the Lord” (Tobias 13:3). “Declare His glory among the Gentiles: His wonders among all people! … Bring ye to the Lord, O ye families of the nations: bring ye to the Lord glory! Give to the Lord glory to his name, bring up sacrifice, and come ye in his sight: and adore the Lord in holy becomingness” (1 Paralipomenon 16:24, 28-29). “In God shall we glory all the day long” (Psalm 43:9).

Yet holiness or sanctity is not an optional thing: “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect!” (Matthew 5:48). “You shall be holy men to Me” (Exodus 22:31). “You shall be holy, because I am holy!” (Leviticus 11:46). “Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy because I am the Lord your God!” (Leviticus 20:7). “You shall be holy unto Me, because I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from other people, that you should be Mine!” (Leviticus 20:26).

To glorify God the Father, in making Him known, loved and served, such was the object of all the affections of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the motive power of all Its actions, the end of all Its sufferings. Not only at His entrance into the world, but in the accomplishment of each mystery, in each step of His career, our divine Lord repeated constantly: “Behold Me, O My Father, behold Me: what wouldst Thou that I should do to glorify Thee? I have engraved this law in the depths of My heart, it shall always be My rule.” He was not troubled about Himself, nor His concerns, nor His own personal glory. “I seek not my own glory. My glory is nothing” (John 8:50-54).

O what admirable zeal and what purity of love! In truth, the Heart of Jesus seeks for Itself only contempt, humiliations and shame. He imposes silence on those who praise Him, hides Himself from those who seek to make Him king, whilst He hastens to meet the executioners who, on the day of His passion, bring Him chains and a cross. It was by accepting humiliations, a thorny crown, and an infamous gibbet that He honored His Father, and that the bleeding royalty of Calvary, which He so ardently desired, will establish the glory of God throughout the world. Then will He exclaim on the last day: “I have glorified Thee on the Earth: I have finished the work which Thou gayest me to do.”

Consider, Christians, that it is impossible to love God and not to feel an interest in his glory. The glory of God is the highest goal we can have. Many place the salvation of their own soul at the top of their list of goals—but this is a selfish goal, it is about saving MY soul. The glory of God is not giving or gaining something for self, it has another as its beneficiary—God. If we were to give God glory in all things and at all times, then it would be impossible to lose our souls. Our souls would be saved as a by-product of giving gory to God and our reward would be greater—since we will not have acted for a selfish (even though good) purpose.

Yet glory and sanctity go hand-in-hand. You cannot be holy without giving glory to God. You cannot give glory to God and not increase in holiness.

Thousands of apostles, missionaries and heroic women, have made the sacrifice of their country, their families, their possessions, their lives even, in order that God should be known, loved and served in childhood, youth and all ages of life. It was because these noble souls knew how to love, because each day they said, with hearts filled with a holy jealousy for the honor and glory of God: “Our Father, who art in Heaven, may Thy name be hallowed, exalted and praised. May Thy kingdom come in all hearts and command all affections. May Thy will be everywhere venerated and loved over the whole Earth, as it is in Heaven.” It was this thirst for the glory of God that made them holy into the bargain.

Let us examine ourselves and see if these are also our sentiments; if we have not too often preferred our repose and our interests to the greater glory of God; or if, in our hearts, we feel for the evils which oppress the Church and religion, so as to be able to say with the Psalmist: “The reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me” (Psalm 63:10).

EXAMPLE
A religious of the Order of St. Francis, named Alphonsus, had labored successfully in propagating the kingdom and glory of God amongst the Indians. To evangelize these poor souls sitting in the shadow of death; to make them know and love the Creator of Heaven and Earth, was the object of his zeal and his preaching. Often was he heard to exclaim: “All for Thy glory, O my God; nothing except for Thy glory!”

After some years, he resolved to abandon his apostolic works, and retire to a solitary place, that he might attend only to his personal sanctification. He had been an apostle and a missionary, now he would become a hermit.

One day as he was kneeling before an image of the Sacred Heart, and praying with great fervor, he heard a mysterious voice which appeared to come from the Heart of Jesus, and which said to him: “Your prayers are pleasing to Me, Alphonsus; but your preaching and your apostolic journeys were still more pleasing in My sight, for they caused many to bless and honor My Father. There are in India thousands of souls who neither know nor invoke His Holy Name: will you allow them to perish? And will you be indifferent to the glory of My Father, that glory which was the object of all My toils and sufferings?”

The religious replied, weeping: “Lord Jesus, I refuse not to labor; I will become again the apostle of Thy heavenly Father, and so long as I know there exists a corner of the earth where He is not known or loved, I shall never enjoy a moment's rest.” He left his solitude and returned to India, where he honored God by the toils of his apostolate, and, finally, by the pains of martyrdom.

As for ourselves, we are not necessarily being asked to go to a foreign country or remote jungle to preach and teach the Faith in order to give glory to God. We have come from God and we exist for Him; our holiness must come from God and must exist for Him. We believe that the purpose of man, of life, of creation, of everything, is the glory of God. Does this mean anything to us? What is glory anyway?

St. Augustine says that glory is “clear knowledge joined to praise” — which actually tells us more than just what glory is, because it shows what we have to do about it. It shows how we give glory. Praise of God in prayer gives glory; service of one another in Charity gives glory; desire to follow Our Lord gives glory; willingness to do God’s will gives glory. So the whole point of sanctity, then, is that it gives glory to God.

Our Lord, who is sanctity itself, shows us how while He was on earth He gave glory to the Father. “I have glorified You on earth; I have finished the work which You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). What was that “work”? Quite simply it was the Father’s will. This, of course, meant doing a lot of particular things — such as preaching, working miracles, founding a Church, suffering the Passion — but all was summed up in faithfully fulfilling the Father’s will. When, right at the end, He said from the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), Our Lord did not only mean that His life was finished, but that the work the Father had given Him to do, the task of fulfilling the divine will, was now completely rounded off and that there was nothing more to be done.

In being “obedient unto death” (Philippians 2:8) to the Father’s will, Our Lord was giving us a lesson in glory. It was the day-to-day obedience—in things not noticed by anyone except His mother and the closest of His friends—that gave glory to the Father, just as much as the miracles, prayers, and teaching gave glory. Now, if our chief duty as Christians is to be reliving Our Lord’s life in our own world, then it is not going to be in performing the great works of Christ, but in performing the little ones. And just as the little works He did were not little in the eyes of the Father, because they were being done perfectly by the Son, so the little ones we do are not little to the Father, because we are trying to do them perfectly with the Son.

A quite ordinary duty, such as writing a letter of thanks, or getting up at the right time in the morning, can give great glory to God. It is answering to His will. The ordinariness of the actual job is raised, so that it shares in the obedience of Christ. From the tip of the pen (if we are writing that letter), glory is flowing out to God; from the effort to throw off the sheets (if it is that duty of getting up), there is an immediate output of glory to God. At every instant of the day, doing what we have to do because God wills us to do it, we are handling glory.

Breathing the air of God’s glory, we only have to breathe it in His direction and we are there. As the fish swimming in the sea and the birds flying in the sky, we are moving about in what might be called “glory-space.” It is not as though we had to get onto another planet to find sanctity and give glory to God, or even alter the position we are in on this one (provided that we are where God wants us to be), because God’s presence is everywhere and all we have to do is to live in it and praise Him in it.

God is glorified in all His creation, and not only in human beings who can use their minds to speak His praises. Nature praises Him, because it gets its existence from Him and works according to His laws. It is fairly easy to see how God is glorified by sunsets and roses and snow-capped mountains, because these things reflect something of divine beauty, but He is also glorified by dull things, like stones and cabbage and rain. Moving one step higher, we find little difficulty in seeing God glorified in puppies and small chickens and friendly polar bears at the zoo, because these things are lovable and nice, but He is also glorified by snakes and toads and rats. Each separate piece of God’s creation, by existing in the kind of existence God means it to have, gives glory to God.

This idea of everything having on it the glow of God’s look — like the warmth of the sun showing in a haze of heat over the water — seems clear enough when we take the trouble to think about it. To the saints, such a view of creation is a settled state of mind. Outward objects are seen and loved as being reflections of Him who made them. That is why St. Paul said that the visible things were there to draw our minds to a knowledge of the invisible Creator (Romans 1:20). That is why St. Francis of Assisi called natural things, like the sky and the sun, by the title of “brother” and “sister.” They were all in the family. They all bore on them the Father’s likeness.

You can imagine what a difference it would make, to your life, if you saw all around you signposts pointing to the presence of God. Not only would nature and human beings proclaim the glory of God, but even in the ordinary happenings, from hour to hour and from day to day, you would welcome God’s will. You would be drawn at once to show gratitude for the pleasant things that happened, knowing that God had provided them, and the unpleasant ones you would accept as part of your share in the Passion. So it would mean that you could live out your life under what St. Augustine described as the canopy or firmament of God’s will.

So that is what sanctity does. First it glorifies God, from whom all sanctity comes. And second it discovers more and more material with which to express this glory. Where the ordinary “Sunday-Mass-and-nothing-more” kind of Catholic sees the service of God as a tiresome duty to be gotten through somehow, the saint sees the service of God as a marvelous opportunity. To the one there seem to be few signs of God’s love in a world of muddle and unfairness; to the other there are signs of His love on every side, even in confusion and disappointment. To the one there are just people, nice ones and nasty ones; to the other there are souls, all of them somehow lovable and all of them reflecting the love of God. To the one there are earthly needs and trials to worry about; to the other there is nothing to worry about because earthly needs and trials are handed over to God. The one dreads lots of things as evil; the other dreads only one evil — sin.

June 21st
A Thorny Problem!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

A Humble Crown! A Painful Crown!

“And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head” (Matthew 27:29).

If you contemplate attentively a representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, you will notice that It is encircled with a crown of thorns; just as It was shown in the apparition to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. On the day of Our Lord's bitter passion, the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and pressed it with violence on His sacred head.

This was, without doubt, one of the most insulting and cruel tortures which the Redeemer had to suffer in His passion. But we may well believe that these torments sprang from the Heart of Jesus, and fell back again upon It with crushing weight; for the heart is the seat of suffering as of love. The crown of thorns lacerated His Heart before piercing His sacred Head.

“And these thorns,” says a spiritual writer, “were our innumerable sins, whose fearful punishment He had taken on Himself; the ingratitude of mankind who would despise His tenderness; the multitudes of those who would be lost in spite of His efforts to save them.”

Ah, yes, all the sins and crimes of the whole world are so many sharp thorns, which pierce and tear that adorable Heart. Nevertheless, Jesus accepts, with resignation, this bleeding crown for love of us.

O, how dear to us should be this Sacred Heart, thus crowned with a royal diadem, placed on the altar of the cross, and consumed as a perpetual victim by the sacred fire of His love! How far more eloquently than a crown of roses does this crown of thorns speak to our hearts, and teach us to understand the burning charity of the Heart of Jesus! O, with what transports of love should we not cry out: “Heart of Jesus, pierced with thorns, have mercy on us.”

Christians, Jesus would teach us by this mystery, that devotion to His Sacred Heart is not a devotion of sentiment, but a practical devotion which should produce in us a love of the cross and of suffering; for, as St. Bernard says: “Is it not shameful to be a delicate member of a head crowned with thorns?” Is it not a revolting contrast to see the Saint of saints in agony, and we reveling in pleasures? Jesus delivering up His head and His Sacred Heart to thorns, and we devoting ourselves to the delights and joys of this world?

This mystery teaches us also humility; for the ignominious crown which Jesus wore, is the condemnation of the diadem of pride and ambition which excites our desires. He wished to show us how He loves humble souls who do good in secret, and seek not the eyes of creatures and human glory; for them the practice of virtue is sufficient. O my beloved Jesus! Jesus crowned with thorns, imprint deeply in my heart and soul these great and saving truths.

EXAMPLE
On the Feast of the Assumption, many hundred years ago, a celebrated queen said to her two daughters “Put on your most beautiful dresses and your crowns of gold, and let us go down together to the town, and hear Mass at the Church of Our Lady.”

The two princesses dressed themselves as their mother had ordered, and entering the church they knelt down opposite a crucifix. At the sight of the figure of her Savior, naked, bleeding and dying, the youngest princess took off her crown and all her ornaments and prostrated herself on the pavement of the church.

Her mother, surprised at her conduct, was about to express her disapproval, when the young girl, with a touching accent, addressed her thus: “Behold, before my eyes, my king and my God, the sweet and merciful Jesus, who is crowned with sharp thorns, naked and bleeding, and shall I, a wretched sinner, remain before Him wearing a crown of gold and precious stones? My diadem would be a mockery in the presence of His.” And she wept bitterly; for the love of the heart of Jesus had already wounded her tender heart.

The young princess grew up, choosing always the crown of thorns offered by Jesus in preference to that of gold and jewels held out by the world, and, in after life, she became St. Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary. Let us learn us from this story that, in order to deserve the crown of glory in Heaven, we must here, on Earth, wear the crown of thorns. The one must precede the other.

June 22nd
The Biggest Thorn!

ACT OF CONSECRATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Lack of Love
Our Lord Himself said: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). God, Who is Love (1 John 4:8), has no greater love for any creature than He has for Mary. Who can say what the love of the Heart of Jesus was for His Blessed Mother? As God, He loved her as the purest and most perfect of His creatures; He preserved her from all sin, and adorned her with all graces and virtues.

As Man, He loved her as would the most respectful, the most docile, the most submissive and affectionate of children. What favors, what sanctity must not the Heart of the Son have communicated to the Heart of the Mother daring the nine months He reposed in her virginal womb, and during the thirty years of intimacy which He passed with her at Nazareth!

During the time of His public ministry, it was frequently at the request of His Mother that Jesus worked His miracles, as He did at Cana in Galilee, so that the women of Israel, envious of such great glory, cried out: “Blessed is the womb that bore thee” (Luke.11:27).

In Heaven, He wills that His Mother should be the dispenser of His treasures, the channel by which all His graces descend to earth. He takes pleasure in answering and granting the prayers which are addressed to her, and to confirm, by miracles, the confidence that is shown by her servants. He wills that the Church should have for her the most profound respect, the most tender love, the most entire confidence; He loves to see her name united to His, and when a temple is raised to His glory, it is necessary in order to please Him, that its vaulted roof should give shelter to the humble altar of Mary. Finally, He wills, that wherever the Son is adored, the Mother also should be honored: “they found the child with Mary his mother” (Matthew 2:11).

If the love of Our Lord for His Mother is so great, then there can be no greater pain, or thorn in His Sacred Heart, than that of a lack of love for the one whom He loves above all. This is, in fact, the reason or cause behind the First Saturday devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The purpose of these First Saturday devotions is to make reparation for sins committed against His Holy Mother.

On December 10th, 1925, the Most Holy Virgin with the Child Jesus, appeared to Sr. Lucia of Fatima. She showed Lucia her Immaculate Heart encircled by thorns, which she was holding in her hand. At the same time, the Child Jesus said: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce It at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of Reparation to remove them” Then the Most Holy Virgin said: “Look my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me.”

Sr. Lucia speaks also of a later apparition of Our Lord, on the night of May 29th-30th, 1930. She says: “This is what was revealed to me. [She then reports the words of Our Lord that were spoken to her]: ‘There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

(1) Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
(2) Blasphemies against her Perpetual Virginity.
(3) Blasphemies against her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize her as the Mother of men.
(4) The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn, or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother.
(5) The offenses of those who outrage her directly in her holy images.

These, My daughter, are the reasons why the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little act of Reparation.’”

It is also true that the gravest sins against the Most Holy Virgin are, first of all, sins against Faith. This important lesson must be kept in mind.

If we wish to please Jesus, let us love and respect Mary; let us love her as dutiful children love their mother; she has for us all the tenderness and devotedness of a parent; her Heart, like that of her Son, is an abyss of love and mercy. In our devotion, let us never separate the Heart of Mary from that of Jesus; let us honor and love them both with all fervor; they were always closely united, let us not, in our affections, separate them. Let us address our petitions to God the Father through the Heart of Jesus let us appeal to Jesus through the heart of Mary; we shall obtain all from the Father through the Heart of Jesus, and all from the Son through the heart of the Mother.

We can remove this large thorn from the Sacred Heart (and the Immaculate Heart too), by fulfilling Heaven’s wishes for reparation. The Most Holy Virgin said to Sr. Lucia:

“Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and announce in my name that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”’

Let us do this, and also delight to repeat frequently, perhaps many times daily, the touching invocation: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heart like to the Heart of Jesus, pray for us!

EXAMPLE

During the fatal war of 1870, between France and Germany, a virtuous and only son, when on the point of starting to join the army, placed himself under the powerful protection of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. His good parents had also placed in this twofold refuge their hopes for the preservation of a child so dear, and whom they looked to as the stay and support of their old age.

As it always happens these hopes were not deceived. The young man, a captain in the army of the Loire, encountered the greatest dangers, he was exposed to the fire of the enemy's cannon, and saw blood flowing on every side, and yet he received no wound. He devoted himself day and night to nursing a soldier ill of smallpox, and he was preserved from the contagion. In a word, under every circumstance, Jesus and His holy Mother watched over this faithful servant with the tenderest care, and he on his side, in the midst of the toils and perils of war, never failed a single day to recite his Rosary; and, protected by the Sacred Hearts, he returned safe and well to his family.

To mark their sense of this favor, the relatives of the young man placed a slab of white marble in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, bearing in golden letters this inscription: “Gratitude to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who have preserved and restored a beloved son to his family during the war of 1870.” Under every circumstance, in every danger let us invoke Jesus and Mary, let us take refuge in their Hearts and we shall always be safe.

June 23rd
The Lukewarm Thorn!

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars.

We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

Kill the Messenger
What is with people that when you point out to them that they are lukewarm, they become far from lukewarm in their indignation at you having pointed it out! Sometimes they will even attack you for have done so! Hey! Get real, will you! Most of the spiritual masters are of the opinion that MOST souls ARE LUKEWARM. Most saints who have spoken on the matter of salvation, say that MOST souls GO TO HELL. Is there a connection between the two? You bet your life (or bet your soul) there is a connection!!

If someone passing your car on the highway, was to point out that your car wheel wobbling greatly―would you be offended? If someone told that your little Johnny was up to no good at school―would you attack them? The Sacred Heart of Jesus Himself warned St. Margaret Mary about lukewarmness and Our Lady of Good Success, speaking to Mother Mariana, also condemned it! So why get upset if it is pointed out that you―a lesser mortal than St. Margaret Mary and Mother Mariana―are guilty of lukewarmness. What doctor would not tell his patient that he or she has a disease? It would almost be criminal not to do so! So if MOST souls are lukewarm―are you likely not to be among MOST souls? If you had studied any spiritual manuals of note, then you would realize that those souls who are improving in their fervor, are the most likely to be attacked by the devil with lukewarmness.

So don't be offended if you are told that you are lukewarm―it is your doctor speaking! Rather, be worried and take remedies immediately, so as Fr. Faber says, writing about lukewarmness: " I fear this evil of lukewarmness is very common, and that at this moment it is gnawing the life out of many souls who do not even suspect its presence. It is a great grace, a prophecy of a miraculous cure, to find out that we are lukewarm; but we are lost if we do not act with vigor at the moment we make this frightening discovery. It is like going to sleep in the snow, almost a pleasant tingling feeling at the first, but then, if we don't get up―lost forever" (Fr. Faber, Growth In Holiness, "ch. 25 "Lukewarmness")―bearing in mind the frightening comment of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, that he had never seen a monk recover from lukewarmness! Yet, all things are possible with God if WE REALLY DESIRE those things.

To be neither hot nor cold towards the Heart of Jesus, which merits so much love and has manifested Itself to the world to arouse tepid souls; to drag oneself listlessly along in the service of so good a Master, without being afraid of offending Him; desiring little to please Him, being without gratitude for His favors, without care for His glory, without zeal for what concerns Him―all these things are the characteristics of tepidity or lukewarmness.

The Gravity of Lukewarmness
What is the gravity of this disorder in this guilty apathetic soul, which professes to honor the Sacred Heart yet does not do so? What does Jesus say to such a soul? “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will banish thee from My Heart, and I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth!” Or, as the Book of Apocalypse says: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot. I would thou wert cold, or hot. But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth!” (Apocalypse 3:15-16).

Unfortunate soul, do you hear this dreadful threat? Does it not give you a terrible idea of the disgust with which you inspire Jesus, and the difficulty of your return to the adorable Heart, Whose indignation you have provoked? Yes, He who hastens to meet the greatest sinners, and who receives the prodigal child with tenderness, even He can no longer bear with you, but will vomit you out of His mouth. O Jesus! What, then, has this poor soul done to excite to such a degree Thine anger? Has it been guilty of the sin of scandal or sacrilege?

“No, but it is without zeal for My service, without a generous love for My Heart which has loved it so much: it is lukewarm! I would prefer a great sinner, capable of generous resolutions, to this soul steeped in the languor of tepidity! I would thou wert cold. I can no longer bear with it; it excites the indignation of my Heart; it disgusts It; I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth!”

O Lord! Is not this the greatest misfortune? Is not this a more sad fate, in one sense, than that of the sinner? If, unhappily, you are infected with this disease which so often proves fatal and which is yet so common, remember that there exists two remedies which are infallible.

The first is prayer to the Heart of Jesus; He has promised that He will cure and save all those who invoke with confidence His Sacred Heart, yes, even lukewarm souls; He will cast down upon you a spark of love, and you will be restored to fervor and life.

Say often to your merciful Savior: “O Jesus! He, whom Thou lovest, is sick, come and heal him!” and He will give back to you the strength and fervor of your former years; take courage, then, and throw yourself into this divine Heart.

The second remedy is to let no day pass of this beautiful month, without offering to Jesus some small sacrifice, some little effort to overcome your inclinations. He will at once reward you by the peace and joy of His love. Yes, do this and you may rest assured that not only will you be cured, but that you will no longer be in danger of the spiritual death, which is the infallible consequence of tepidity. “Do this and thou shalt live!” (Luke 10:28).

EXAMPLE

It was not in vain that our Lord revealed the devotion of His Sacred Heart as the great remedy for the dreadful evil of lukewarmness. Each day a happy experience confirms the truth of the divine promises made by our Lord to His servant, Margaret Alacoque.

The following incident took place, some short time ago, in a town in the north of France. A priest, zealously devoted to the Sacred Heart, came there on a visit for a few weeks. One day a woman, somewhat advanced in years, accosted him and begged him to hear her confession. “I am unable to do so,” he replied, “for I have not the necessary faculties to hear confessions in this diocese; besides you have plenty of confessors in the town.” The woman answered: “I will try to obtain for you the necessary faculties; the salvation of my soul is at stake.”

These words made a deep impression on the mind of the worthy priest, who agreed to meet her in the course of a few days. In the meantime he made inquiries concerning the woman, and learned that she had for years been very fervent and occupied in many good works, but little by little she had become disgusted with her way of life, had given up her pious practices, and, without as yet committing serious faults, she was adding infidelity to infidelity: she was lukewarm.

On the day appointed she came to the priest, and revealed the dangerous state of her conscience, without manifesting any determination to amend herself. The confessor, seeing in how great peril her soul was, earnestly exhorted her to pray, and spoke of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At these words the woman replied sharply that she did not like novelties, nor superstitious practices, which were only suitable for enthusiastic imaginations. The minister of God commended her to be silent, and made her promise that, for eight days, she would reflect for five minutes on these two questions: “What has the Heart of Jesus done for me? And what have I done for It?”

After much opposition she made the promise and kept it. No more was needed: in a week’s time the Heart of Jesus had transformed this languid and lukewarm soul into one full of energy and burning with zeal, and she became the apostle of this devotion in that part of the country. After some years she died, leaving behind her a wonderful reputation for charity and devotedness to the Sacred Heart. Perhaps we could reflect upon the same questions for a few days! Who knows what might happen?

June 24th
The Thorn of Sin!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Allegiance With The Devil
Consider that an innocent soul is the dwelling-place of God, and that in Communion it becomes in a particular manner the abode of Jesus Christ. In the words of St. Paul it can exclaim: "I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). Yes, Jesus is at home in an innocent soul, there He finds His delight and there He desires to remain forever.

To commit a sin, a mortal sin, and voluntarily to continue in this dreadful state is to give ourselves over to the devil, it is to make him our master in the place of Jesus, who at once departs, driven out ignominiously and complaining in the words of Isaias: "To whom have you tamed Me and made Me equal, and compared Me?" And whilst Satan chains down this poor soul and makes it his slave, Jesus stands at the door, lovingly knocks, and breathes forth these touching reproaches: "What more could I do for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee a most beautiful vine; and thou hast proved exceeding bitter to Me."

"I shed for thee my blood even to the last drop, and what has it profited thee I nourished thee with My own Flesh, and thou hast despised, persecuted, and betrayed Me. O all you that pass by the way of life, attend and see, if there be any sorrow like to the sorrow that My Heart feels at such base ingratitude. Guilty soul, if thou didst know the gift of God, if thou didst know Who I am, and what I give to those who open their hearts to Me."

"No!" answers the sinful soul, "No, I will not have Thee to reign over me!"

O what a cause of anguish for the tender Heart of Jesus! How this cruel thorn must make His divine Heart to bleed. "Is there no one," does He exclaim, "who will take pity on Me, and will compassionate My grief, in the miserable state to which sinners have reduced Me, above all in these present times?"

To this cry of distress, O Christians, let us answer with words of love and reparation. Let us hasten to our Savior's aid, let us by our prayers, our alms, and our communions, convert sinners. St. Teresa never ceased to pray for them; she continually asked Jesus Christ for souls; and we read in her life that one day when she was praying with greater fervour, she uttered so powerful a cry, so vehement a prayer from the depths of her heart, that the heavenly Spouse was touched, and revealed to her that by her petition she had just saved six thousand souls, who owed to her their salvation and whom she would one day see in Heaven.

Let us also ask the Heart of Jesus for souls: Da mihi animas (Give me souls!). If we could but save one, only one, ours also would be saved, we should give joy to the angels, we should console the Heart of Jesus. What a happiness and what a reward Souls, O my God! Give me souls: Da mihi animas, and keep all things else: Coetera tolle tibi. Eternal Father, look on the face of Jesus, and transform all poor sinners into saints!

EXAMPLE

During the siege of Metz in 1870, a brave captain of artillery was carried wounded to the ambulance. "Surgeon," he said, "do with me what you will, but save my life. I have a wife and children, I cannot, I will not die!"

Alas, all was of no use, and it was necessary to prepare for that last great journey; but the poor man was obdurate and would not put his conscience in order. Who was there to have pity on this soul and save it from the eternal abyss?

Another captain of artillery, a fervent Christian, determined to render him this important service. He put on his uniform as if to pay him a visit, and approaching the bed of the dying man, said to him with tears in his eyes: "Come, my dear fellow, a soldier ought to know how to die; give your poor wife and children the only comfort which is left to them, namely, that of knowing you died as a good Christian."

He then insisted that the dying man should no longer put off his religious duties, and remained with him till the priest arrived to hear his confession. Reconciled to God, and fortified with the sacraments of the Church, the dying man exclaimed in the fulness of his joy: "I am happy, I am ready for the great review. I shall go up there unburdened and decorated; all is in order."

He then kissed with a lively faith a medal of the Sacred Heart, which he had received at Rome from the hands of the sovereign Pontiff, saying: "I have never left off wearing this medal, Father; when I am dead, be so good as to send it to my wife, it will be my last remembrance, my last farewell."

Thus was a sinner saved by a pious friend having pity on him, and bringing him back to the fold of Christ. Oh if we did but know the value of souls, if we did but know the desires of the Heart of Jesus!

June 25th
Spread the Devotion!

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body; assistance in my temporal needs; place Thy blessing on all that I do; and grant me the grace of a holy death. Amen.

The Reason We Have No Zeal Is That We Have No Love!
“Our Lord,” said St. Margaret Mary, “manifested to me the treasures of grace and love, which He would bestow on those who would consecrate and sacrifice themselves, in order to procure for His Sacred Heart all the love and glory which was in their power; treasures so vast that it is impossible for me to describe them. Our Savior also showed me the names of a great number of persons written in His divine Heart, on account of their zeal in causing It to be loved and honored, and that for this reason their names would never be effaced.”

The longing desires and magnificent promises of the Heart of Jesus, excited to the greatest degree the zeal of the saintly religious of Paray-le-Monial. It is not in our power to relate all the efforts, the holy inventions, the generous persistence of her ardor in propagating the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She even made a vow never to refuse any labor or suffering, however painful, that could spread this devotion.

In writing to one of her superiors she thus expresses herself: “What joy is it to me that the Sacred Heart of my divine Master is known, loved, and glorified. I live only for this end, and there is nothing that I would not endure in order to make Jesus Christ reign in all hearts; even the pains of Hell itself without the sin, of which they are the punishment, would be sweet to me. O God! It is more pleasing to me, and I would rather suffer in order to make Thee known and loved, than be one of the number of the seraphic choir!”

What can equal the zeal and heroic devotedness of this holy soul! Christians, let us also labor, as far as in us lies, to extend devotion to the Heart of Jesus.

There are two means of propagating it which are within the reach of all: the first is prayer; let us frequently ask of God the Father to make the Heart of His beloved Son known and honored throughout the whole world; this Heart which has procured for Him more glory than all the saints and angels together. Let us often repeat the ejaculatory prayer: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!”

The second is to induce those with whom we are acquainted to practice this devotion, by making known to them its objects and advantages. A word spoken with prudence and conviction, a remark uttered in and inspired by charity, will often suffice to gain hearts for the Heart of Jesus. Oh! If the fire of divine love but animated our souls, how easily should we be able to communicate to others the ardor which we ourselves experience. St. Augustine says: “If we have no zeal, the reason is that we have no love.”

Bearing in mind these words of St. Augustine, let us examine ourselves on our zeal for our Faith in general, and our zeal for the Sacred Heart in particular. Does devotion to the Sacred Heart find a place in my heart? How much do I try to encourage and spread this devotion in others? Failure in trying does not dispense us from trying. Our Lord could be largely said to have failed to convert the multitudes while He was on Earth, but He didn't stop trying. He even knew that most souls would not profit from His sufferings, passion and death, but that did not stop Him from trying and suffering and dying nevertheless.

Yes, Lord, I will be Thy faithful apostle and I will place my glory in procuring Thine.

EXAMPLE

Providence has reserved for this century which is one of material things and earthly interests, the example of a saint whose only thought was for heaven, and who loved but the Heart of Jesus. To give an idea of the love of God with which St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, was animated, says his historian, it would be necessary to describe all the zeal, energy, gentleness, and generosity of which a human soul, aided by grace, is capable.

He thought and spoke unceasingly of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and his words seemed flames of love. He continually preached on the devotion, recommended it to all those whom be directed, to the sick, to the afflicted, and to poor sinners.

One day, it was the morning of the beautiful feast of the Sacred Heart, he said with tears in his eyes: “Let us all go to the Heart of Jesus, to the throne of divine goodness; there flows from It love and mercy sufficient to wash away all the sins of the world. Oh! If we knew how much this divine Heart loves us, we should die of joy. The only happiness on earth is to love It, and to know that It loves us.”

After the example of this holy priest, of this indefatigable apostle, let us recommend and propagate the devotion to the Sacred Heart. “Let us diffuse in the world the sweet odor of the Heart of Jesus Christ,” said St. Margaret Mary, “and we shall be Its joy and crown.”

June 26th
Salvation of Souls!

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

PRAYER OF ST. PADRE PIO TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

A Savior Wants to Save
Consider that the Heart of Jesus burns with an immense desire to save our souls, and to make them eternally happy. Yes, to save our souls, this is the object of His divine mission, the end of the Incarnation; it is for this that He descended from heaven, took the form of a servant and the name of Savior.

St. John says: “God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by Him” (John 3:17); and “through Him to reconcile all things to, Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, both as to the things on earth and the things that are in Heaven” (Colossians 1:20). “Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). To save our souls, such was His office, His great work for thirty-three years.

His examples, lessons, miracles, sacraments, sufferings, His life and death, all were directed to our salvation. As we say in the Creed: “Who for us men and for our salvation descended from Heaven.”

To save our souls was the object of His sacrifice: “Christ hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness” (Ephesians 5:2).

He ended His life in the midst of the most terrible torments, exclaiming that He thirsted for the salvation of men: “I thirst” (John 19:28).

Finally, it is for our salvation that Jesus gives us His Eucharistic Body, the pledge of eternal life, and His divine Heart; the sacred Ark where we may all enter, and find protection and salvation. He says: “My Heart desires to manifest Itself to men, so that they may enrich themselves with this precious treasure which I disclose to them, and which contains sanctifying graces capable of rescuing them from perdition, and of saving them all.”

O how many mysteries are there not in the burning love of Jesus for our souls! What an immense desire to save us all! Can we ever sufficiently thank Him for such love?

O Christian soul! Help the Heart of Jesus to quench the burning thirst which consumes It. Alas! Thousands, nay, millions of souls are lost, whilst you are enriched with all sorts of spiritual favors! Endeavor to bring them back to God by your prayers, your good works and example.

This was what the saints did with such admirable zeal, and it was revealed to St. Teresa, that her prayers had converted to God many thousands of Indians―but remember, St. Teresa’s prayer was no lukewarm, superficial, mechanical or routine prayer! Church history relates that the spark of Faith, coming from a single slave, in the fourth century, spread like a fire and converted the whole of the Iberian (Spanish) nation.

An easy way of contributing to the salvation of souls, is to simply fulfill the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, which snatch so many victims from the devil and Hell, and opens to them the possibility of entering the gates of Heaven―if they cooperate with God’s grace. Let us love the Fatima message and spread it around us—in this way we shall save many souls.

O Jesus! Give me the heart of an apostle, enkindle in me the fire which consumes Thine own.

EXAMPLE

In the year 1821, a pious young woman in the city of Lyons, was moved with compassion on hearing of the sufferings and destitution of the French missionaries in heathen lands. One evening, whilst her companions were playing at cards, she was musing on the object she had at heart, and she asked for the money won at the game to help the missionaries. Seated quietly by the fire, she wrote down in pencil on a card, the simple and fruitful plan of the propagation of the Faith, and little by little, she induced the needlewomen and servants of the town to join in her work.

The first year she collected fifteen hundred francs; these details were given by the foundress herself. At the present time the subscriptions amount to five million francs, three millions of which are collected in France. Brought in by so many hands, the weekly penny became like the grain of mustard seed, it grew and multiplied each day. On every side, men and women, rich and poor, great and small, joined the association.

If God had said fifty years ago to that young girl, as He did to Abraham, “Look at the heavens and count the stars if thou canst; the souls that will be saved by thy work will exceed them in number,” would not her Faith have been put to a severe test?

Today, Our Lady of Fatima, in a certain sense, has carried this work to another level. She is asking for our daily prayers and daily sacrifices of simply doing our duty of state as “pennies” or “cents” towards the salvation of sinners--”You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart ... Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to Hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them … Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the conversion of sinners?” (Our Lady of Fatima).

O how the Heart of Jesus must rejoice at this abundant harvest! How rich a reward must He not reserve to the foundress and associates of this fruitful organization! Let us then love and spread this devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Fatima message that seeks the salvation of souls, and we shall save some of those souls for whom Jesus has shed His blood.

June 27th
Ungrateful Soul!

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

I fly to Thee Sacred Heart of my Savior, for Thou art for my refuge, my only hope. Thou art the remedy for all my miseries, my consolation in all my wretchedness, the reparation for all my infidelities, the supplement for all my deficiencies, the expiation for all my sins, and the hope and end of all my prayers.

Thou art the only one Who is never weary of me and Who can bear with my faults, because Thou lovest me with an infinite love. Therefore, O my God, have mercy on me according to Thy great mercy, and do with me, and for me, and in me, whatever Thou wilt, for I give myself entirely to Thee, divine Heart, with full confidence that Thou will never reject me. Amen.

A PLEA TO JESUS

O Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus! Come to us and be our Ruler. All that we have and are is Thine to command, for all that we have is Thine. If our hearts are poor, enrich them with Thy Grace. If they have been wretched and stained, accept them purged and cleansed through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

SUFFERING HEART of Jesus! To Thee we confide all the trials of our souls.

SWEET HEART of Jesus! To Thy care we confide our weaknesses and ask Thee to accept our sincere repentance.

COMPASSIONATE HEART of Jesus! We confide our souls to Thee, tormented by our suffering conscience.

GENTLE HEART of Jesus! We confide to Thee the peace and salvation of our families.

EUCHARISTIC HEART of Jesus! The world, worried unto death, finds a refuge in Thy Heart, where the lance once opened for us the source of Life.

Come, O Jesus! Be our Brother in the pure joy of Christian love!

Come, O Jesus! Be our Friend in the depths of this world's sorrows. Amen.

Love is Not Loved!
It is related in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, that, urged by zeal for the glory of God, he passed weeping through the towns and villages of Umbria, exclaiming: “Love is not loved, love is not loved.” If this was the cause of so lively a grief in the thirteenth century, in that age of faith when St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Bonaventure, St. Louis and St. Elizabeth brought about, by their examples, so much good, what words would now be required, and how many tears would have to be shed, to deplore the ingratitude of the present age towards the loving Heart of Jesus? Listen to the complaint He uttered: “Behold this Heart which loves men so much and which is so little loved in return.”

Sad as the thought is it is, unfortunately, true, for how many souls are there who do not know the tender and generous love of the Heart of Jesus for them; their number cannot be enumerated. How many others are there who have some knowledge of it and yet are not faithful in making a return for so much love. Alas! There is nothing more common in the world than ingratitude; and how this fresh and painful thorn must cause the Heart of Jesus to bleed. We have the assurance of it conveyed in the words He addressed to His servant, the St. Margaret Mary: “That which grieves Me more than all I have suffered in My passion is the ingratitude of men. They receive with coldness and indifference every sign I vouchsafe them of My willingness to confer benefits on them.”

Who would not deplore, from the bottom of their hearts, such deep ingratitude; who would not shed tears of blood over the thought, that all the proofs given to us of the tenderness of Jesus Christ become, in consequence of our indifference and wickedness, the cause of the great sorrows of His adorable Heart!

We do not thank God because we do think of reality of His Providence behind all that happens in our daily lives. Not a single event happens, no matter how insignificant it maybe in our eyes, without God being aware of it and either wanting it to happen (in the case of good things) or allowing it to happen (as in the case of bad things). We are blind to this and, consequently, in our blindness, we fail to thank God for His presence and intervention in our lives. This is akin to what St. Therese of Lisieux would say: “Jesus is so little loved because He is so little known!”

Christians, since gratitude is one of the distinctive marks of devotion to the Sacred Heart, you should endeavor never to pass a day without recalling to Your mind the blessings you have received from God: the blessings of creation; of preservation; of the call to the true Faith; of the Sacraments; of the Heart of Jesus; and many other particular graces. Do yet more: thank God for all the favors He would have bestowed on you if you had been more faithful, and for all those that, in the future, will be granted to you.

Thank Him for all those who, receiving His favors, return Him no thanks, or use them only to offend Him. Gratitude is the special virtue of noble and generous souls, and is a most sure means for obtaining fresh blessings, whilst, on the contrary, ingratitude dries up their source. O Jesus! Give us Thy loving Heart, we will offer It to Thy Father, and this offering will fully discharge our debt of gratitude.

EXAMPLE

During the reign of terror in 1871, the prisoners of the Commune, in the dungeons of Mazas in Paris, were preparing to make the sacrifice of their lives to God. They ceased not to repeat again and again: “Come, Lord Jesus!” And the answer was: “Yes, behold I come quickly” (Apocalypse 22:20). Suddenly the doors opened, the captives did not leave, but Jesus entered. A courageous woman, whose twofold character of American and Protestant enabled her to visit the prisoners without exciting suspicion, brought to the confessors of Jesus Christ a little box, containing several consecrated Hosts, which a priest had secretly given her, begging her not to fail in placing it in the hands of the captives. The prisoners were filled with joy and consolation.

“I am no longer alone,” wrote one of them. “I have Our Lord as my guest in my little cell; I feel as I did on the day of my First Communion, and I shed tears of joy. O my God! How good Thou art! How true it is that the mercy of Thy Heart will never fail! What thanks do we not owe to the benevolent woman who has procured us so much happiness; we cease not to pray for her, and we hope that the gift she made to us may be rewarded, more especially in the time of trial.”

On the 24th of May, the hour sounded for leaving earth for Heaven; fortified with the Holy Viaticum and Jesus in their hearts, the saintly prisoners went forth to yield up their lives into the hands of God. A volley was heard, then one or two single shots; all was over, the victims were no longer victims but martyrs. Their grateful prayers were not offered in vain; the Protestant lady, who had brought them the Sacred Hosts, received in return, from the Heart of Jesus, the gift of the true Faith. She is now a Catholic. Happy woman! Who found thus a heavenly treasure in the midst of the horrors of a siege, which destroyed so much earthly wealth. On her return to America, she was able to proclaim the gratitude of the French martyrs and the generosity of the Heart of Jesus.

June 28th
Frequent Holy Communion

PRAYER TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Divine Jesus who has said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," behold me prostrate at your feet. Animated with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart and pronounced by your adorable lips. I come to ask your aid. (mention your request)

From whom shall I ask, O sweet Jesus, if not from you whose heart is an inexhaustible source of all graces and merits? Where shall I seek if not from the treasure which contains all the riches of your clemency and bounty? Where shall I knock if it be not at the door of your Sacred Heart through which God himself comes to us and through which we go to God?

To you then, O Heart of Jesus, I have recourse. In you I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when overwhelmed with trials and light in doubt and darkness. I firmly believe you can bestow on me the grace I implore even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted. I know I am most unworthy of your favors, O Jesus, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite and humble heart. Cast upon me a look of pity, I conjure you, and your compassionate Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a pressing motive for granting my petition.

But, O Sacred Heart, whatever may be your decision with regard to my request I will never cease to adore, love, praise and serve you. Deign, O Jesus, to accept my act of perfect submission to the decrees of your adorable Heart which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all your creatures forever and ever. Amen.

The Sacred Heart is the Eucharistic Heart
Consider that the object of devotion to the Sacred Heart is to inflame all hearts with love. Now the memorial of all the miracles of love accomplished by our Savior is the Holy Eucharist, that divine Food which He has prepared for those who fear Him; and the greatest proof of gratitude and affection that we can give, is to receive Him who gives Himself to us.

Sister Agnes of Jesus, of the Order of St. Dominic, was so convinced that the Man God, in instituting the Blessed Eucharist, had willed to enkindle divine love more and more in our hearts, that, at the moment of Communion, she exclaimed in a transport of joy: “Let us approach to the God of love!” One day she received the Sacred Host under the form of a fire, which so inflamed her heart with love, that she seemed during the remainder of the day unmindful of all things else.

St. Teresa, when dying, regretted she could not die of love, and her desire for Holy Communion was so great, that she would willingly have exposed her life to danger, if by so doing, she could have partaken of the Bread of angels. It is said in Scripture: “Can a man hide fire in his bosom and his garments not burn?” (Proverbs 6:27). In like manner, it is impossible that our hearts should not burn with love, if we often receive Jesus in the Sacred Host.

Devout souls, who are truly devoted to the Sacred Heart, will eagerly desire to participate frequently in this divine banquet, and they will rejoice when the days of Communion come round. With them, as with the heavenly spirits, who are continually nourished with God, without ever being satiated, the more they communicate, the more they desire to communicate. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque used to say: “Without the Blessed Sacrament I could not live.”

Christians, are you animated with a great desire to communicate? Or do you not feel a sort of indifference, nay, even repugnance, to approach the Bread of Angels? Oh, if you did but realize the pain you cause the Heart of Jesus!

Communicate in future, as often as you can, your good Master invites you. “Take ye and eat, this is My Body.” (Matthew 26:26). “With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you” (Luke 32:25).

Communicate then often; the faithful of the early Church used to receive every day; how great was their fervor and Faith. Communicate often in order to make reparation for the indifference, the coldness, the insults, the treachery of which Jesus complains when speaking of the Holy Eucharist.

Yes, communicate often, and may you be able to say with St. Margaret Mary: “I have so great a desire for Holy Communion, that in order to obtain it, I would willingly walk barefooted along a path of flames.”

In return you will merit to hear the consoling words which Jesus addressed to His humble servant: “My daughter, I have chosen thy soul to be for me a place of repose on Earth, and thy heart shall be a throne of joy for My divine love.”

EXAMPLE

In an ecclesiastical seminary of the diocese of Rouen, France, one of the students was distinguished for his piety and intelligence, and was generally the first in his class. The day after he had made his First Holy Communion, he went, as was the custom, to his director, to show him the paper on which he had written his resolutions.

These consisted of one only, couched in these I words “I am resolved to continue to wear the white neck-tie of my First Holy Communion, as long as I do not commit a grievous sin.” The priest was surprised and said to him: “I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of allowing you to keep so strange a resolution! You must go to your mother and first ask her permission!”

This he did, and explaining the whole matter, he pleaded his cause so well, that he was permitted to follow his devout wishes.

George, for such was his name, was not satisfied with keeping only this memorial of his First Holy Communion in order to preserve himself in the grace of God, he made a rule to receive Holy Communion every Sunday and on the principal feasts of the year.

In 1870 he finished his studies and took his degree as Bachelor in Arts. He had then completed his eighteenth year. When the war broke out between France and Germany, he obtained his father’s permission to join the Pontifical Zouaves under General Charette.

He had been a model of every Christian virtue at college, and he was one also as a soldier, continuing every Sunday his weekly Holy Communion. In the month of January, when near the town of Le Mans, the Zouaves were ordered to retake an entrenchment from the Prussians. George distinguished himself by his bravery, and though his side was victorious, he fell mortally wounded.

Immediately he asked for the chaplain and said to him: “Father, three days ago I went to Confession and Holy Communion and I have nothing on my conscience; be so good then as to bring me the Holy Viaticum. I will also ask you to do a little commission for me; go to my knapsack, you will know it by its number; there you will find a white necktie, a white ribbon, and a Rosary; they are the memorials of my First Holy Communion; be so good as to bring them to me.”

When the priest returned, George said: “Put the white tie round my neck,” this the priest did, and having received the Holy Viaticum, George added: “When I am dead, take off this necktie and send it to my mother; write to her and tell her from me, that this necktie of my First Holy Communion has never been stained, except with the blood I have shed for our unhappy country.”

Oh! how beautiful was such a death! Was it not the result of his frequent Holy Communions?

June 29th
Do You Know the Hour of Your Visitation?

ACT OF REPARATION
TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O most sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas, that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone, by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior; for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent; for the frequent violation of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on Earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church, which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood!

We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou dost continue to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can, with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering Faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of Charity.

We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and, by the crowning gift of perseverance, keep us faithful unto death, in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all, one day, come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.

Ignore Him At Your Own Peril!
Consider that next to hearing Mass, and receiving Holy Communion, there is nothing so acceptable to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or so beneficial to our souls, as to visit often our divine Lord in the Sacrament of His love. Yes, both day and night, the Master is there on His throne of mercy. “The Master is come!” (John 11:28).

He is there with His Body, His Blood, His soul, and divinity. In a word, the same as He is in Heaven, except that His glory is veiled. He is there with His boundless love for us. He is there as the Lamb, ever mystically immolated, whose Blood pleads for mercy for all poor sinners. He is there with His Heart, so good and so compassionate, so afflicted by our ingratitude, so eager to pour into our souls streams of grace. The Master is there and honors as by His loving invitation: “He calleth thee!” (John 11:28).

“Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you,” (Matthew 11:28). “Behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world” (Matthew 28:20). “My delights are to be with the children of men” (Proverbs 8:31). “Every day I stretch my hands to you; come to me; my Heart overflows with graces ready to enrich you.”

Oh, how ungrateful and indifferent shall we not be if we refuse to listen to the call of so good a Master! Does not a devoted child love to meet its father and take pleasure in being with him; and what greater consolation is there on Earth than conversing with a faithful friend?

“It is impossible,” says a spiritual author, “to enumerate all the graces which a soul receives during these visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Lights which illuminate the understanding are there obtained, divine inspirations which soften the heart and graces which sanctify; so that it might almost be said, that the salvation of a soul faithful in making the daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament is secure.”

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. John Berchmans, found their only happiness in being near Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and it was there that St. Francis Xavier sought repose after the labors of his apostolate, and gathered fresh strength to undertake new conquests. In a word, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus hidden ender the Eucharist veils, has always been the favorite devotion of all the saints.

Christians, examine your conscience on this point. Have you a fixed hour for visiting the most Holy Sacrament? Are

you faithful in keeping to it? Do you not prefer visits to your friends and acquaintance, visits which are often useless and dangerous to your salvation? In short, in your temptations, your discouragements, and afflictions, is it at the foot of the Tabernacle, that you seek comfort and strength?

Resolve, from this moment, never to let a single day pass without visiting Jesus the Prisoner of love, and in these visits, propose to yourself to honor in a special manner the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to make reparation to Him for the coldness and neglect of others. When retiring from the church, leave your heart in the holy Ciborium with the divine Host, continue in spirit to adore and love Him, thus you will be able to say with the great Apostle St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” O Heart of Jesus! May the fire of Thy divine love daily increase within me!

EXAMPLE

Some years ago, a young man was, unhappily, led astray into the paths of Jewish infidelity. Whilst still in the flower of youth, his heart was filled with dreams of glory, and, being a distinguished musician, he hoped to achieve it, by introducing on the stage the inspirations of his genius.

One evening, he was asked to play the organ in one of the principal churches in Paris; and this unexpected occasion for displaying his talents was eagerly accepted by the young man. There in that church God, awaited him, and prepared for him, not a triumph for his self-love, but a humiliation a thousand times more glorious.

Already the roof of the sacred edifice re-echoed the sound of the solemn chants, and the melodious tones of the organ had filled all hearts with recollection and prayer; every head was bowed and the God of the Eucharist had blessed His children prostrate in lowly adoration, The unbelieving musician, alone, dared to raise his haughty brow before that God despised by his forefathers, but it was in vain. A mysterious and invisible hand bowed his head and humbled him to the ground. A miracle of grace was brought about, the young man was conquered. He knelt down a Jew, he rose up a Christian, unbelief had given place to Faith. Bewildered, his heart wounded, as it were, by the Real Presence in the Sacred Host, he left the church. Soon the waters of Baptism were poured upon him, and exchanging his fashionable attire for the coarse cloth of a monk, he bade an eternal farewell to the pleasures of the world.

A living example of the power of the Blessed Sacrament, he went from city to city, and from village to village, proclaiming everywhere the love of that God who had vanquished his unbelief, and in the unspeakable joy of his happiness, repeating again and again: “The days of grief are departed. I have found peace of heart since I have tasted the delights of the tabernacle of the Lord.”

If you would like to know the name of this privileged soul, ask it at the cloister of Mount Carmel, still fragrant with the sweet odor of his memory, and they will tell you it was Father Augustine, of the most Holy Sacrament. Augustine, to remind him of his errors and wanderings; and of the most Holy Sacrament, to excite him to bless forever the divine cause of his conversion.

If one single visit to the God of the Eucharist transformed an obstinate Jew into a good Christian and holy monk, what may we not hope to obtain in future, by fervent and devout visits to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar!

LITANY TO THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God, the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty,
Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy,
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee,
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses,
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches,
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities,
Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart,
R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray
Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen.

June 30th
One Day, The First Fridays Will Be Last Chance Fridays!

Made in Heaven
Our Lord, when appearing to St. Margaret Mary, said: “My child, be attentive to my words and to what I shall command you for the accomplishment of my designs. You must communicate on the first Friday of every month, so as to honor my outraged Heart.” St. Margaret Alacoque faithfully observed this injunction, and she received at those times most abundant favors.

The first Friday in each month is, therefore, a feast day established by our Lord Himself, a day on which His divine Heart expands to bestow on us copious and special graces. On this favored day, fervent souls rejoice and feel the need of drawing near to the adorable Heart of Jesus which loves man so much; of being intimately united to Him in Holy Communion; of visiting Him in the Sacrament of His love, to rekindle at the burning furnace of His sacred Heart the fire of their zeal and their desire for perfection. They also set apart this day to recollect themselves, and to examine their consciences before God as to how they have spent the last month; and they make resolutions to sanctify better the one which then commences.

The first Friday devotion is at the same time (1) a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (2) devotion to the Sacred EUCHARISTIC Heart of Jesus, and (3) an act of reparation for sins that offend the Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart should not be taken lightly. We remember the terrible fate of France, whose kings ignored the command to consecrate their country to the Sacred Heart.

Although devotion to the Sacred Heart certainly preceded St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Our Lord used her to popularize the devotion. The means he chose to popularize it, however, were not only apostolates, and the first Fridays, but also a king. In 1689, St. Margaret Mary went to Versailles to see King Louis XIV, who at the time was the greatest Monarch in Europe. France had never seemed more glorious, and it was on the point of innovating its culture, technology and industry. It had the highest population in Europe (therefore the largest armies), and was undefeated on the battlefield. It had also solidified its Catholic identity.

What St. Margaret Mary came to present to Louis XIV was simple: that a public ceremony be held in the court of the King consecrating France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; that the emblem of the Sacred Heart be put on the flag of France; and that he build a chapel so that the Sacred Heart could be adored, and France’s glory would be magnified even more for the Catholic Faith. Louis neglected to obey and fulfill these requests of the Sacred Heart.

We all know that in 1793 a later King Louis XVIII of France, while in jail before his execution, tried to fulfill this command. But he could not do it because, by then, the French Revolution had broken out and King Louis was in jail. He made some private ceremony, but that is not what Our Lord wanted. He wanted a solemn public ceremony.

For 100 years the Kings of France had been given their chance. The set time was over. On June 17th, 1789, one hundred years later to the day, the King of France was stripped of his power; that is the Third Estate declared itself the national assembly, declared itself superior to the King, and took over power in France. Three weeks later, the King was imprisoned; and four years after that, he was executed, decapitated. He was not just decapitated, or injured, in some sort of accident — he was executed as if he were a criminal.

A similar thing occurred at Fatima, when Our Lady asked that the Pope (the king of the Church) consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When Sister Lucy later asked Our Lord why He required the consecration, why He would not convert Russia without this consecration, He told her, “Because I want My whole Church to acknowledge that consecration as a Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that it may extend its cult later on, and put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”

The refusal of one pope after another to do this, just like the kings of France refused to consecrate France to the Sacred Heart, will meet with a similar fate to that of France. The seeming deadline of 100 years is fast approaching! The two Hearts of Jesus and Mary are our solutions, remedies and answers. Devotion to them could almost be compared to the blood of the lamb that was smeared on the door posts of the Israelites in Egypt, before the coming of the Angel of Death. Are we as neglectful as the kings of France and the popes of the Church? We cannot pass the buck, like Adam and Eve tried to do! Is our devotion smeared upon the door posts of our soul?

In many parishes in France, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is given on the first Friday of the month, preceded by an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in several religions communities, there is Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the day, followed by Benediction. Many miracles of protection in danger, cures and conversions to God, testify that the first Friday of the month is a privileged festival, a day on which all graces can be asked for and obtained from the merciful Heart of Jesus: “This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein!” (Psalm 117:24).

Christians, since we know that the first Friday of each month is the day which Jesus has chosen, let it be for us a day of grace and recollection. A. God condescends to make known to His creature what will be pleasing to Him and beneficial to us, and shall we neglect to perform it? No, it shall not be so; in the morning let us make our meditation on the riches of that adorable Heart, and ask It to instill into our souls holy thoughts, with which to occupy our minds throughout the day. Let us also hear Mass and receive Holy Communion with all fervor, offering to Jesus the ardent love of His servant Margaret Mary to supply for our deficiencies.

We should, if possible, choose a quiet time to make a review of our conduct during the past month, to ask pardon for our faults, and thank God for all His graces, concluding the day by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, and an act of consecration to the divine Heart of Jesus. If we are faithful to these practices of devotion, how many favors and blessings shall we not draw down upon our souls, and transported with holy joy we shall be able to exclaim with the Psalmist: “O Jesus! Jesus! Lord of Hosts! How wonderful are Thy Tabernacles, my soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. For better is one day in Thy courts above thousands!”

EXAMPLE

A few years ago, as is related in the Messenger of the Sacred Heart, a poor woman who had scarcely ever known the blessing of health, was at last obliged to keep to her bed, being reduced to a state of complete exhaustion. The doctor, thinking she was in a hopeless condition, did not prescribe any remedy; and, being forced to send her children out to work every day, the poor widow was left almost entirely alone.

She used to leave her door open from morning to night, so that the neighbors and charitable passers-by might come to her aid in case of need. Her patience was wonderful, and no one eve, saw her yield to impatience or sadness.

One thing, however, grieved her: it was the thought of dying without seeing the beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart, which had been placed in the parish church. “Ah!” said she, “it is certain that I shall never be able to go to church again; I shall never see the Sacred Heart.”

Those about her replied: “Do not lose confidence! If it is necessary, you can be carried to the church!” The poor woman began a novena to the divine Heart of Jesus, and asked to have a Mass said for her on the first Friday, in the Month of May, at the altar of the Sacred Heart, hoping to be able by some means to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Her friends agreed to wrap her in a large shawl and carry her to the church; but this was not enough for her, she insisted on fasting, so that she might go to Holy Communion.

The first Friday in May came round, and her daughter and a neighbor carried her in their arms to the church. After hearing Mass and receiving Holy Communion, she heaved a sigh and exclaimed: “I am cured! Return thanks to the Heart of Jesus!”

She rose up and walked alone to the altar which was decorated for the month of May, where for some space of time she remained on her knees praying; she then returned to her home without support, and without experiencing any inconvenience. Her cure was complete and lasting; the poor woman restored to health became the joy and happiness of her little household, and she showed her gratitude towards the divine Heart of Jesus by never failing to communicate in thanksgiving, every first Friday of the month.

June 1st"Thou Shalt Love!"

June 2nd"Heart Functioning? Need A Transplant?"

June 3rd"A Heart to Eat!"

June 4thTake Heart! He Loves You!

June 5thHeart of Mercy!

June 6thCan You Believe It?!

June 7thA Couple of Gems!

June 8thListen To Your Papas!

June 9thHeart to Heart? Or Lips to Heart?

June 10thThe Sacred Heart and the Last Ages?

June 11thThrough One Heart To Another

June 12thLove His Heart by Loving This Book

June 13thShe Saw It First!

June 14thWhat Makes Him Tick?

June 15thA Blow to the Heart!

June 16thWater, Water, Everywhere!But Does Anyone Want To Drink?

June 17thAt The Cross Roads!

June 18thFlinging Flames!

June 19thFor All Your Needs!

June 20thWhat On Earth Does He Want?

June 21stA Thorny Problem!

June 22ndThe Biggest Thorn!

June 23rdThe Lukewarm Thorn!

June 24thThe Thorn of Sin!

June 25thSpread the Devotion!

June 26thSalvation of Souls!

June 27thUngrateful Soul!

June 28thFrequent Holy Communion

June 29thDo You Know the Hour of Your Visitation?

June 30thOne Day, The First Fridays Will Be Last Chance Fridays!

June 1st
"Thou Shalt Love!"

June 2nd
"Heart Functioning? Need A Transplant?"

June 3rd
"A Heart to Eat!"

June 4th
Take Heart! He Loves You!

June 5th
Heart of Mercy!

June 6th
Can You Believe It?!

June 7th
A Couple of Gems!

June 8th
Listen To Your Papas!

June 9th
Heart to Heart? Or Lips to Heart?

June 10th
The Sacred Heart and the Last Ages?

June 11th
Through One Heart To Another

June 12th
Love His Heart by Loving This Book

June 13th
She Saw It First!

June 14th
What Makes Him Tick?

June 15th
A Blow to the Heart!

June 16th
Water, Water, Everywhere!
But Does Anyone Want To Drink?

June 17th
At The Cross Roads!

June 18th
Flinging Flames!

June 19th
For All Your Needs!

June 20th
What On Earth Does He Want?

June 21st
A Thorny Problem!

June 22nd
The Biggest Thorn!

June 23rd
The Lukewarm Thorn!

June 24th
The Thorn of Sin!

June 25th
Spread the Devotion!

June 26th
Salvation of Souls!

June 27th
Ungrateful Soul!

June 28th
Frequent Holy Communion

June 29th
Do You Know the Hour of Your Visitation?

June 30th
One Day, The First Fridays Will Be Last Chance Fridays!