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Devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the
Sacred Heart is a special form of devotion to Jesus. In the eleventh
and twelfth centuries we find the first indications of devotion to the Sacred
Heart. It was the Benedictine or Cistercian monasteries, in the world of
Anselmian or Bernardine that the devotion began. On 31 August 1670
the first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in the Grand Seminary of
Rennes. Coutances followed suit on 20 October. The feast soon spread to other
dioceses and the devotion was adopted in various religious communities. Margaret Mary
Alacoque (1647-1690), Visitandine of the monastery at Paray-le Monial, was
chosen by Christ to reveal the desires of His Heart and to confide the task
of inspiring new life to the devotion. That, in which He requested to be honored
under the figure of His Heart of flesh; that, when He appeared radiant with
love and asked for a devotion of expiatory love frequent Communion, Communion
on the First Friday of the month, and the observance of the Holy Hour
(probably June / July, 1674); that known as the "great apparition"
which took place during the octave of Corpus Christi, (1675, probably 16
June), when He said, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men, instead of
gratitude I receive from the greater part of mankind only ingratitude",
and asked her for a feast of reparation of the Friday after the octave of
Corpus Christi, bidding her consult Father de la Colombière , then superior
of the small Jesuit house at Paray; and finally, those in which solemn homage
was asked on the part of the king, and the mission of propagating the new
devotion was especially confided to the religious of the Visitation and the
priests of the Society of Jesus. In 1765, at the
request of the queen, the feast was received quasi officially by the
episcopate of France. In 1856 Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the universal
Church under the rite of double major. In 1889 it was raised by the Church to
the double rite of first class. The acts of consecration and of reparation
were everywhere introduced together with the devotion. Since about 1850
groups, congregations, and States have consecrated themselves to the Sacred
Heart. In 1875 this consecration was made throughout the Catholic world.
Still the pope did not wish to take the initiative or to intervene. On 11
June, 1899 by order of Leo XIII and with the formula prescribed by him, all
mankind was solemnly consecrated to the Sacred Heart. The idea of this act,
which Leo XIII called "the great act" of his pontificate, had been
proposed to him by a religious of the Good Shepherd from Oporto (Portugal)
who said that she had received it from Christ Himself. She was a member of
the Drost-zu-Vischering family, and known in religion as Sister Mary of the
Divine Heart. She died on the feast of the Sacred Heart, two days before the
consecration, which had been deferred to the following Sunday. Whilst
alluding to these great public manifestations we must not omit referring to
the intimate life of the devotion in souls, to the practices connected with
it, and to the works and associations of which it was the very life.
Moreover, we must not overlook the social character, which it has assumed
particularly of late years. The Catholics of France, especially, cling firmly
to it as one of their strongest hopes of ennoblement and salvation. Saint
Gertrude Saint Gertrude on
the feast of Saint John the Evangelist laid her head near the wound in the
Saviour's side and heard the beating of the Divine Heart. She asked John if
he had felt these pulsations on the night of the Last Supper and why he had
never spoken of this experience. John replied that this revelation had been
reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have
need of it to rekindle its love. ("Legatus divinae pietatis", IV,
305; "Revelationes Gertrudianae", ed. Poitiers and Paris, 1877) Novena
Prayer to The Sacred Heart of Jesus Divine Jesus, You
have said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock
and it shall be opened to you." Behold me kneeling at Your feet, filled
with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by Your Sacred Heart
to Saint Margaret Mary. I come to ask this favor: Mention your request). To whom can I turn
if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where
should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your
kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God
gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You,
Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when
persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and
darkness. Dear Jesus, I
firmly believe that You can grant me the grace I implore, even though it
should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be
granted. I admit that I am most unworthy of Your favors, but this is not a
reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and You will not
refuse a contrite heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of You, and Your
kind Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a reason for granting my
prayer. Sacred Heart,
whatever may be Your decision with regard to my request, I will never stop
adoring, loving, praising, and serving You. My Jesus, be pleased to accept
this my act of perfect resignation to the decrees of Your adorable Heart,
which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all Your creatures
forever. Grant me the grace
for which I humbly implore You through the Immaculate Heart of Your most
sorrowful Mother. You entrusted me to her as her child, and her prayers are
all-powerful with You. Amen. Consecration
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pope Leo XIII (Annum Sacrum, May 1899) Most sweet Jesus,
Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before You. We
are Yours, and Yours we wish to be. But, to be more surely united with You,
behold, each of us freely consecrates himself today to Your Most Sacred
Heart. Many, indeed, have
never known You. Many, too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have
mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but
also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You. Grant that they may
quickly return to their Father's house. Be King of those who are deceived by
erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the
harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock
and one Shepherd. Grant, O Lord, to
Your Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm. Give peace and
order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one
cry: "Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation--to it be
glory and honor forever!" Amen Click on the Links Below for More
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