Don't Pass Them By...
[Yesterday was the memorial of St. Margaret
Mary Alacoque. She was devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and spent her life
promoting devotion to It and to Him. Sadly, in our busyness, many of us skipped
by this special remembrance without much thought or reflection - just as we
often pass by our waiting Lord.
Sometime today or during this
weekend, let us pause and ponder the insight of this loving servant, the majestic
Gift of His Sacred Heart and His Presence here among us.]
We
must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge 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 into
their 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.
(From Letter of St. Margaret Mary
Alacoque, virgin – Office of Readings – October 16, 2015)