Book Review – A Little Book of Reparation – First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Anne Costa
In this brief volume, Anne
explains the origin of the Frist Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, its
spirit and purpose, the dispositions one must have in making this devotion, and
the benefits awaiting those who do so -one offers this devotion by going to
Mass on the first Friday of nine consecutive months, receiving Holy Communion
with the intention of honoring Christ’s Sacred Heart and making reparation to
It.
In a world which has lost
any sense of sin, reparation is a word foreign to many contemporary ears. This
devotion, as Anne makes clear, is a gift God has given us “not just to atone
for our own faults and sins, but also to obtain grace for others who may be
confused or steeped in sin or rebellion”.
This devotion shows how
much we love God and draws us nearer to Him. Jesus, in turn, promised St.
Margaret Mary Alacoque He would “grant the grace of final repentance to all
those who will receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of the month for nine
consecutive months. They will not die in My disgrace, nor without having
received the holy Sacraments, and in those last moments, My Heart will be a
safe refuge for them.”
In addition to describing
nine specific acts of reparation that could be offered in conjunction this
First Friday devotion and providing concrete examples of other daily acts of
reparations, the author sets forth a number of beautiful prayers: Act of Reparation
to the Sacred Heart, Novena of Reparation, and Litany of Reparation in Honor of
the Blessed Sacrament.
In this little gem of a
book, Anne Costa provides the reader with all one will need to offer this
devotion well, benefit from it, and make reparation to a God who has been
abandoned by so many of those He created.
A Little Book of
Reparation – First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is
another one of those special books that we should read and place in the hands
of our spouses, children and loved ones.