Reminder - First Friday today, Sept. 4

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

When we look at the sad state of our world today, we may ask “How did it come to this?” In 1982, St. John Paul II said:

…When one moves away from the Mother, sooner or later he ends up keeping distant from the Son as well. It is no wonder that today in various sectors of secularized society, we note a widespread crisis of faith in God, preceded by a drop in devotion to the virgin Mother… – from an Address to the Legion of Mary, Oct. 30, 1982

The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are united in love, both pierced with sorrow. In Mary we see both Mother and Model for the Church. No human person loved Jesus more, or had greater devotion to His Sacred Heart, than His Mother. By the power of the Holy Spirit working within us, let us offer loving reparation to Jesus, through Mary today.

For those unfamiliar with this devotion see HERE. An excerpt from this link:

…The devotion of all devotions is love for Jesus Christ. A devout author laments the sight of so many persons who pay attention to various devotions, but neglect devotion to the Sacred Heart. There are many preachers and confessors who say great things, but speak little of love for Jesus Christ.

The love of Jesus Christ ought to be the principal devotion of a Catholic. Lack of devotion to the Sacred Heart is the reason for frequent relapses into serious sin, because people pay scant attention, and are not sufficiently encouraged to acquire the love of Jesus, which is the golden cord which unites and binds the soul to God… For this purpose it is related in the life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Visitation Order, that our Savior revealed to this servant His wish that the devotion and the Feast of His Sacred Heart should be established and propagated in the Church. In this way, devout believers would, by their adoration and prayer, make reparation for the injuries His Heart constantly receives from ungrateful humanity when He is exposed in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. It is also related that while this devout nun was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ showed her His Heart surrounded by thorns, with a cross on the top, and in a throne of flames.

“Behold the Heart,” she reports that Jesus spoke to her, “that has loved humanity, and has spared nothing for them, even to consuming itself to give them pledges of Its love, but which receives from the majority of people, no other return but ingratitude, and insults toward the Sacrament of Love.”

 

[liturgy96]

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You! Thank you for this; I truly hope this will inspire many people to frequent First Friday devotions. I myself never realized the value of this devotion until I was well into my formation as an altar server. It was around this time that I was able to truly appreciate the mercy of God and thus grow in my faith.

 

[MariaChristi]

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You! Thank you for this; I truly hope this will inspire many people to frequent First Friday devotions. I myself never realized the value of this devotion until I was well into my formation as an altar server. It was around this time that I was able to truly appreciate the mercy of God and thus grow in my faith.

Dear Liturgy96,

Thanks so much for your reply. It was early in my youth that I began going to First Friday Mass with an older cousin whose husband was in WWII. She lived with us until he came home from the war. She was praying for him, while making the sacrifice of going to very early Mass before work. She took me along after I made my First Holy Communion and I am grateful to her. Both of us were more like sisters than cousins. She and her husband lived into their 60’s or 70’s. She died first but they had 7 children – my “second cousins” and it is a joy whenever we can get together.

Prayer builds strong family ties – natural families and “supernatural” families in the Church. I look forward to our reunion in heaven. We are one in His Heart now but then it will be even more wonderful!