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+ SOME THOUGHTS ON THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS +
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Bishop Anthony writes:
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was instituted in the eighteenth century and from then celebrated year by year in an increasing number of dioceses. It was extended to the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX. The Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi (that is, eight days later) was selected for the Feast because it was on that day that our Divine Lord Himself made known to Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Order of the Visitation in France, after a series of visions to her, the ultimate purpose of the Veneration of His most Sacred Heart. Saint Margaret Mary had, in her life, the one desire to become utterly Christ-like and to suffer with Him. In a series of marvellous visions Our Lord showed her all the secrets of His Heart and told her to propagate the public worship of His Heart in the Church. By the time she passed to Glory in October 1690, she had been consoled by seeing the beginnings of the success of her endeavours.
We do well, above all else, to remember that the Faithful pay homage and worship to the physical Heart of JESUS CHRIST both because it is the Heart of a Person Who is GOD as well as Man and because it is the natural symbol of Christ’s unspeakable, undying love for every single one of us. A love that never fails us, however little we deserve it, or indeed return that love in our daily lives and our daily devotions! Every time we receive JESUS in Holy Communion we are receiving not only His true Body & Blood, His very Soul and Divinity, but also all the inexpressible LOVE toward us of that most Sacred Heart. By our regular and devout reception of JESUS in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, we will grow more and more in love with JESUS and receive countless graces and consolations from His Divine Heart – that Heart which burns with Divine Love for us, sinners though we be, and that Heart which is our ultimate goal and destiny when we meet JESUS finally in Heaven. |
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And some helpful words of Cardinal Manning.
Take nothing lower than the Heart of our Divine Lord as the measure and the rule of your own. Do not take any lower standard. Do not take the examples of men! Do not take maxims and motives of your own. Set before you the Sacred Heart in its full and divine perfection.
Keep as closely as you can to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Be faithful to His law. Cherish every particle of His truth, every commandment, every counsel of His will, every inspiration of His grace. The throne of GOD’s Sovereignty is the Blessed Sacrament upon the Altar. The Sacred Heart of JESUS CHRIST, our Lord and King, is there, always reigning – by the power of His love attracting the human will, in all its own freedom, unto Himself. |
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A Man hangs on a Cross and lifts the load of everlasting death from the human race; a Man nailed to a tree looses the bonds of endless death that hold the world in thrall! O shrouded power!
A Man condemned with thieves saves men condemned with devils; a Man outstretched upon a gibbet draws all things to Himself! O mysterious might!
A Man submits to bodily death and so destroys death for the souls of men! [St. Anselm of Canterbury] |
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O GOD, Who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded for our sins, dost deign mercifully to lavish upon us the treasures of Thy love: grant, we beseech Thee, that with the devout homage of our piety, we may also offer Him worthy service of reparation. Through the same JESUS CHRIST, our Lord. +Amen+ |
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Sacred Heart of Jesus: have mercy upon us!
Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus: have mercy upon us!
Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, true God and true Man: we give Thee our own poor hearts!
+++ AMEN +++ |
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THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF OUR LADY OF VICTORIES
(Part of the Worldwide Family of Traditional Roman Catholics)
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