Friday, October 17, 2014

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: "We must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge."

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: 
"We must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge."
Religious of the Visitation Order. Apostle of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, born at Lhautecour, France, 22 July, 1647; died at Paray-le-Monial, 17 October, 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.

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."
Source: The liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings
  
Imitation of the Sacred Heart Pt. 6 : Prayer Life

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