We Must Know the Love of Christ

From a letter by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin (1647 – 1690)

Saint Margaret Mary (1647 – 1690) was born in 1647 in Burgundy, France. She was sent to the Poor Clares’ school at Charolles on the death of her father when she was eight. She was bedridden for five years with rheumatic fever until she was fifteen. She developed a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She refused marriage and in 1671 entered the Sisters of the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial. From the time she was twenty, she experienced visions of Christ, and on December 27, 1673, she experienced a series of mystical revelations that continued over the next year and a half. In them Christ appeared to her and informed her she was his chosen instrument to spread devotion to his Sacred Heart. He instructed her in a devotion that became known as the Nine First Fridays and the Holy Hour. He asked that the “Feast of the Sacred Heart” be established and made twelve promises to those devoted to his Sacred Heart.

Initially rebuffed by her superior, Margaret Mary eventually won her over, but was unable to convince a group of theologians of the validity of her apparitions. She received the support of Blessed Claud La Colombiere, the community’s confessor for a time, who declared that the visions were genuine. She later became novice mistress and saw the convent observe the feast of the Sacred Heart privately beginning in 1686. Two years later a chapel was built at Paray-le-Monial to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Observation of the feast soon spread to other Visitandine convents and around the world. Margaret Mary died at Paray-le-Monial on October 17, 1690 at age 43. The devotion was officially recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Source: Dictionary of Saints by John J. Delaney; Doubleday & Company NY 1980.

We must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge

Listen to

Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California

It seems to me that our Lord’s earnest desire to have his Sacred Heart honored in a special way is directed toward renewing the effects of redemption in our souls. For the Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.

From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours intotheir hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.

This divine heart is an abyss of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.

Therefore, you must unite yourselves to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, both at the beginning of your conversion in order to obtain proper dispositions, and at its end in order to make reparation. Are you making no progress in prayer? Then you need only offer God the prayers which the Savior has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God his fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness. In the course of every activity pray as follows: “My God, I do this or I endure that in the heart of your Son and according to his holy counsels. I offer it to you in reparation for anything blameworthy or imperfect in my actions.” Continue to do this in every circumstance of life. And every time that some punishment, affliction or injustice comes your way, say to yourself: “Accept this as sent to you by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in order to unite yourself to him.”

But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.

Source: The liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings

The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary for those devoted to His Sacred Heart:

  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. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
  5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
  6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
  7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
  8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
  9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
  10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
  11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
  12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Litany to the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, Response: have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, ..
God the Holy Spirit,…
Holy Trinity, one God, …
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, …
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit 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 dwells 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 You, …
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 saints, …

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make our hearts like unto thine.