Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus…
n 1673, a French Visitandine (Visitation) nun named Margaret Mary Alacoque had a private revelation of Jesus, in which he asked the Church to honour his Most Sacred Heart.
In particular, Jesus gave to St. Margaret Mary 12 specific promises made to all who venerated and promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary, “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 … I promise you that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its Divine Love upon those who shall thus honour It, and cause It to be honoured.”
The entire purpose of this devotion is to draw a person closer to the heart of Christ. If a person spreads devotion to the Sacred Heart, it is natural for him or her to be closer to God. The moment that this devotion is observed in a superstitious manner, neglecting the need to live a virtuous life, all bets are off and Jesus’ promises are null and void.
Jesus wants us to rest on his heart, like St. John, and the Sacred Heart devotion is an opportunity for us to encounter him more than just on Sundays and to deepen our love of him.
The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart Devotion
I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
I will establish peace in their homes.
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honoured.
I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. Source
Editor writes…
You know the drill now with Feast Day threads – share your favourite prayers, hymns and stories; even jokes of the “good clean variety”, to mark the day. Happy Feast! Enjoy!
Comments (15)
Happy Feast everyone – once again, to pre-empt email enquiries, this is not a Holyday of Obligation in Scotland, but there will be Mass (and, I think, Benediction) in the SSPX church in Renfrew Street, Glasgow, this evening at 6.30pm.
Whether there will be any of the beautiful vernacular hymns to the Sacred Heart is another matter, so post your favourites here, not to miss out. Enjoy the day!
Happy Feast Day – but let us also remember the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His warning to Sister Lucia in Rianjo, Spain in 1931: https://fatima.org/news-views/the-revelation-at-rianjo-a-fatima-anniversary-august-1931
westminsterfly,
That is a very important reminder of Our Lord’s warning to the pope if he doesn’t consecrate Russia as instructed at Fatima. I hope this warning comes to Pope Francis’s mind today. It should send a chill down his spine.
Fidelis,
I’d be surprised if he knew about what happened at Paray-le-Monial, let alone the Fatima / Rianjo message. He seems to be more interested in masonry:- https://gloria.tv/post/tDoYj3RorGY33bbx18GhH3p4Q
WF,
Far from renouncing this “honour”, he has written a letter of gratitude – see the images posted by user “Kevin” over at gloriatv.
I have posted about this book before, by Fr John Croiset, but it is the definitive book on the Sacred Heart devotion: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devotion-Sacred-Heart-How-Practice/dp/0895553341
The cover states that this book “is not ‘just another book on the Sacred Heart devotion’, but it can be truly said to be THE book on this devotion. Written by the spiritual director of St Margaret Mary, the book comes from the pen of a man intimately familiar with every aspect of the revelations given by Our Lord to this famous saint; thus the book is actually the ‘key’ to understanding the importance and the centrality of the Sacred Heart devotion for our lives as true Catholics. But even more than being THE book on the Sacred Heart devotion, Fr Croiset’s work is a revelation to us all just why so few people become great saints, just why so few Catholics – despite going frequently to the Sacraments – fail really to grow in the life of grace and make great progress in the spiritual order. ‘Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ was actually commissioned by Our Lord Himself through St Margaret Mary, and as the author neared completion of it, the Saint told him that Our Lord said it was so completely in accord with His wishes, that it would never be necessary to make any change in it. Later she revealed to Fr Croiset that it was Our Lord Himself who had inspired him with the ideas in this book and that it was so pleasing to Him that ‘none other but Himself could have arranged everything so much to His wishes . . . ”
Westminsterfly,
I remember you telling us about that book before and I mean to order it – I will do so this time, for sure. Thanks for the reminder. Happy Feast!
WF,
Never mind these “I WILL do so…” – All talk.
I’ve just placed my order so the book will be winging it’s way to me shortly. Sounds like a first-class purchase but I know you, you will offer a refund if it turns out I’m not keen on it after all. 😀
Editor
I don’t expect to give you a refund. I mean it’s not as though you’re indecisive . . . is it?
Wicked Westminsterfly! Giving away my best kept secret – that I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure… 😀
I love this hymn, Sweet Heart of Jesus, which we used to sing regularly at the end of Mass in my parish. This is how our priests instilled a desire in us to love God – by asking him to make us love him, more and more, as this hymn says!
A very happy Feast of the Sacred Heart, everyone.
A very happy Feast day to one and all – a beautiful Feast.
And great news on this lovely feast that the USA are taking steps to end abortion. And guess who says that is a tragic decision? Yep. Catholics Biden and Pelosi.
Yes, Elizabeth,
This is great news, but I suspect the BBC Brigade will be livid – and showing it. I’ve been away from my computer for a good while, so I need to catch up with the reporting of this historic news. I heard one American woman reporter interviewed on Radio Scotland earlier, as the news was breaking and she said that, at 29 years of age she has never known life without abortion availability, adding that there will be millions like her, so she has no idea what the country will “look like” (daft phrase) now that Roe has been overturned… I expect violence from the pro-abortion lobby – only because they’ve threatened it, loud and clear, since “that leak”.
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With thanks to everyone who paid tribute to the Sacred Heart via this thread on this lovely Feast – God bless you… and He will !
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