• October 16th - St. Margaret Mary

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Oct 15 08:58:23 2018
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    October 16th - St. Margaret Mary
    (1647-1690)

    Of the several saints who have popularized devotion to the Sacred
    Heart of Jesus, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is the best known. A nun of
    the Order of the Visitation, it was she to whom the Lord gave the most
    specific instructions about encouraging reparation to His Sacred Heart
    for injuries done to His redemptive love.

    Margaret Alacque was born at L'Autecoeur, Burgundy, France, to a
    prominent French official named Claude Alacoque. She was the fifth of
    his seven children. Her education was limited by circumstances:
    tutoring by her godmother, and two years in a convent school. But
    acquaintance with the life of nuns through observing her school
    teachers, the Poor Clare Franciscans, made a positive impression on
    her naturally devout personality.

    A rheumatic ailment kept her abed between the ages of 11 and 15.
    Because of her illness she had to return to the family home. Here she
    and her mother Philiberte had much grief to bear, for after her
    father's death one of her sisters and her brother-in-law assumed to=
    tal
    command of the household, bore down upon her mother, and were unduly
    harsh with her, often forbidding her even to go to church.

    As might be expected, the householding couple tried to marry Margaret
    off. Her response was to double her prayers and acts of self-denial.
    But when she began to gather together the neglected children of the
    town to instruct them, this charity, too, won scant favor from her
    family.

    At 22, Margaret was finally able to receive the sacrament of
    confirmation, taking as her additional name, Mary. Free now to choose
    her own destiny, she entered the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial
    in 1671. There she would spend the rest of her life.

    It is comforting to learn that Sister Margaret Mary was naturally
    rather quiet, slow and clumsy. Most of us are like that! But there was
    no doubt about her genuine piety. Christ rewarded her prayerfulness by
    a series of apparitions and revelations. He told her especially that
    He was troubled by the coldness and ingratitude of so many of those
    whom He had lovingly saved by His death. He asked her to help make up
    for this ingratitude both by her own prayers, good works and
    sufferings, and by persuading others to follow her example.

    First, He commissioned her to spread devotion to his Sacred Heart,
    which He ordered to be pictured as a flaming heart, wounded and
    crowned with thorns. Next, He urged her to promote frequent Holy
    Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month, and a holy
    hour of Eucharistic adoration on the previous evening. (Frequent
    communion was rare in her day.) Finally, He asked that she work
    towards the establishment of a liturgical feastday of the Sacred
    Heart. He also instructed her to become a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of the nuns of her own community, and to tell the nuns
    she had been assigned such a task.

    Understandably, the Visitation sisters were not all pleased to learn
    God's will in this matter; however, they became more accepting.
    Indeed, the convent became, and still remains, a center for
    propagating that public and private devotion to the Sacred Heart that
    we are still familiar with today.

    The special calling of St. Margaret Mary to warn the faithful against
    coldness and ingratitude towards Jesus makes me wish that she might be
    living among us today. More Catholics receive frequent Holy Communion
    now than did in 17th-century France, but one can wonder how well
    prepared they are to do so, and therefore how respectful they really
    are towards their Eucharistic King. One can ask, too, how many
    Catholics make a practice nowadays of paying regular visits to the
    Blessed Sacrament, or taking part in Eucharistic adoration, and how
    they dress and behave in church. Do they display due reverence for the
    Real Presence, or a cavalier neglect?

    We adore the =E2=80=9CHeart that has so loved men.=E2=80=9D May we therefor=
    e renew
    constantly our resolution to atone for the world's irreverence towa=
    rds
    It by our own deep and demonstrated devotion to Jesus in the Blessed
    Sacrament!

    =E2=80=93Father Bob


    Reflection: Love for the Sacred Heart especially honors the
    Incarnation, and makes the soul grow rapidly in humility, generosity,
    patience, and union with its Beloved.

    Saint Quote:
    Always maintain interior silence, speaking seldom to creatures, but
    often to God by your works, suffering and doing all for love of Him.
    --St. Margaret Mary Alacoque


    <><><><>
    An offering to God the Father, followed by a triple offering of
    St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

    Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Blood, the Passion, and the
    Death of Jesus Christ; the sorrows of Mary most Holy and of
    Joseph in satisfaction for my sins, in aid of the holy souls of
    Purgatory, for the needs of Holy Mother Church, and the
    conversion of sinners.=C2 Amen.

    <><><>
    Eternal Father, I offer unto Thee the infinite satisfaction which
    Jesus rendered to Thy justice in behalf of sinners upon the tree
    of the Cross; and I pray that Thou wouldst make the merits of
    His Precious Blood available to all guilty souls to whom sin
    has brought death; may they rise again to the life of grace and
    glorify Thee for ever.

    Eternal Father, I offer Thee the fervent devotion of the Sacred
    Heart of Jesus in satisfaction for the lukewarmness and
    cowardice of Thy chosen people, imploring Thee by the
    burning love which made Him suffer death, that it may please
    Thee to rekindle their hearts now so lukewarm in Thy service,
    and to set them on fire with Thy love, that they may love Thee
    for ever.

    Eternal Father, I offer Thee the submission of Jesus to Thy
    will, and I ask of Thee, through His merits, the fullness of all
    grace and the accomplishment of all Thy holy will.=C2 Blessed by
    God.

    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)