Today - First Friday and Feast of the Sacred Heart

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, the First Friday of June is also the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The Catholic Church’s devotion to the Sacred Heart and the celebration of a special Feast in His honor was requested by Jesus in His apparitions to St. Margaret Mary:

…The most memorable part of this series of apparitions occurred when Jesus pronounced these words: “Behold this heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to the point of spending itself and being consumed to prove its love to them. And in return, I receive from most men only ingratitude because of their irreverence and sacrileges and the coldness and scorn they have for me in this Sacrament of love. But what offends me most is that hearts consecrated to me act in this way. Do thou at least console me by supplying for their ingratitude, as far as thou art able.”

After hearing these words, Margaret could only express to Jesus her impotence, and He replied: “Behold, this will supply for all that is wanting in thee.” And at the same time His Divine Heart, being opened, issued a flame so ardent that she thought she should be consumed, for she was wholly penetrated within it, and no longer being able to bear it, she asked Him to have pity on her weakness. He then responded: “I will be thy strength, fear nothing, but be attentive to my voice and to what I shall require of thee that thou mayest be in the requisite dispositions for the accomplishment of my designs.”

The Lord then described to her exactly how the practice of devotion to His Sacred Heart would come about, along with its purpose, which is reparation…“In the first place thou shalt receive Me in Holy Communion as often as obedience will permit thee whatever mortification or humiliation it may cause thee, which thou must take as pledges of My love. Thou shalt, moreover, communicate on the First Friday of each month…”

The Lord had promised Margaret that his work would triumph regardless of all obstacles. This promise began to be fulfilled when, at the beginning of the year 1675, He sent her the Jesuit priest named Claude de la Colombière…It was after meeting Father Colombière that Margaret received the fourth and last revelation, the one relating to the creation of a feast in honor of the Sacred Heart.

It took place during the course of the octave of Corpus Christi, in the year 1675, between the thirteenth and the twentieth of June. Margaret said: “Being before the Blessed Sacrament one day of Its Octave, I received from God signal tokens of His love, and felt urged by the desire of making Him some return, and of rendering Him love for love.” He said:

“Thou canst not make Me a greater return of love than by doing what I have so often asked of thee.” Then, showing her His Divine Heart… I ask of thee that the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special Feast to honor my Heart, by communicating on that day and making reparation to It by a solemn act, in order to make amends for the indignities which It has received during the time It has been exposed on the altars. I promise thee that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its divine love upon those who shall thus honor It, and cause It to be honored…Ten years were to lapse before the Feast of the Sacred Heart was adopted…

For more on St. Margaret Mary and devotion to the Sacred Heart see HERE. By God’s Grace, let us do what we can to offer reparation to the Heart of Jesus, who receives so little in return for His Great Love for us!

 

[Richard_White]

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is my favorite devotion within the Church, and so I thank you tremendously for sharing this with us today!!

May God bless you always, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

 

[MariaChristi]

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is my favorite devotion within the Church, and so I thank you tremendously for sharing this with us today!!

May God bless you always, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Dear Richard,

Thanks for your reply! Yes, may the Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time.

I try to make every Friday a special day of reparation to the Sacred Heart. He has loved us so much and receives so little in return.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.