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.
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