Margaret Mary and the Sacred Heart

ONE

On December 27, 1673 Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, revealing to her His Sacred Heart. 

While I was praying before the Eucharist, she writes, Jesus presented Himself to me, all resplendent with glory, His Five Wounds shining like so many suns. Flames issued from every part of His Sacred Humanity, especially from His chest, which resembled an open furnace and disclosed to me His most loving Heart, which was the living source of these flames. It was then that He made known to me the indescribable and excessive love he has for all people, most from whom He receives only ingratitude and contempt.

“My divine Heart,” he told me, “is so passionately fond of the human race...that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you and reveal my Heart to the world, so as to enrich mankind with my precious treasures. I’m letting you see them now; and they include all the graces of sanctification needed to snatch men from the very brink of hell.”

Next, he asked for my heart. I begged him to take it; he did, and placed it in his own divine Heart. He let me see it there—a tiny atom being completely burned up in that fiery furnace. Then, lifting it out—now a little heart-shaped flame—he put it back where he had found it. “There, my well-beloved,” I heard him saying, “that’s a precious proof of my love for you, hiding in your side a little spark from its hottest flames. That will be your heart from now on; it will burn you up—to your very last breath; its intense heat will never diminish…

TWO

jesus gave 12 Promises to those who will love him without reserve in the Eucharist and strive will all their might to do and surrender to His will.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2. I will establish peace in their homes.

3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4. I will be their secure refuge during life and, above all, in death.

5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6. Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls will quickly mount to high perfection.

9. I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.

10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11. Those who promote this devotion will have their names written in my Heart.

12. 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 or without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

THREE

The twelve promises come with one condition, we will only receive the benefits in the measure that we open our soul to God through a deeper conversion. Most of us have one big problem. We convert, meaning we turn away from the big sins of our past, we begin to live a better life than we did before and then we find a comfortable place of mediocrity to settle in. We find this place where we don’t commit grave sins but we also don’t desire or strive for a burning love for God. Then we become luke-warm and we justify it because we are not chainsaw murderers.

Jesus came and showed His Sacred Heart to Margaret Mary, a heart consumed with the flames of love for us – to show us how immensely Jesus loves us unconditionally. He wants to set us ablaze for the love of God and neighbor. But we resist because we hold on to and justify our vices and disordered loves.

Why do I not love the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a burning love? If I am honest, I would admit that I love others things more.

If we want to love the Heart of Jesus more. Then spend more time in silence and solitude with him in friendship in prayer. Make the choice for more time in prayer. You will immediately see what prevents or distracts you from more prayer and then you will begin to see what your disordered attachments are? We have our responsibilities and Jesus wants us to live a balanced life. But we choose lesser goods over Jesus who is the greatest good. Love the lesser things less and the greatest thing more.

FOUR

We do not burn with a hunger and thirst for the Sacred Heart of Jesus because we are full to our gills materially and with entertainment. God gave us a grace to reassess our lives during covid and get our priorities straight. Now the market is up, we haven’t spent much money and we have been set free from most of the covid restrictions and now we are entering the summer of greed, gluttony and indulgence. I fear we are going the wrong direction. More food, more drink, more pleasure, more experiences – however good these might be – they will never be enough. Haven’t we been down this road before. It wasn’t then and it wont be now. God alone satisfies the deep hunger of our soul. Jesus offers the only thing that will satisfy our hunger and thirst and that is His Sacred Heart. Hit pause – look at your life – where are you trying to find your happiness?

FIVE

This Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

If you want to love the Sacred Heart more and receive all 12 promises, then get an image of the Sacred Heart that moves you. Give this image the prominent place in your home. The TV should never have the prominent place – unless you worship entertainment that is. Give the Sacred Heart the prominent place in your home. Spend time before this image every day, gazing at it in silence for an extended period of time, talking to Jesus from the heart and listening to Him in silence. Gather as a family, or your spouse or invite a friend and become a greater friend of the Sacred Heart. I like the image of Christ the King by Giovanni Gasparro.