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"Advise and let the whole world know that I will not put limits to my graces when these are requested on behalf of my Sacred Heart”. The Sacred Heart of Jesus to Santa Margarita Maria Alacoque. The Lord in these last centuries wanted to give men the supreme test of love and to propose a way for them to always love to him more. He opened the infinite treasures of his Heart to enrich all those that had paid him all honor and possible love. In order to show His heart, and to set afire the entire world of love, he selected a humble Nun of the Visitación of Paray-le Monial, a French city. This privileged soul, was born on July 22, 1647 in Laut Lecourt towards Verosvies in Burgundy. After passing many tests, in 1671 she entered the Monastery of the Visitación and in 1672 she professed her religious vows. Shortly after her religious profession, Jesus showed many wonders to her and made promises so extraordinary that no one would have believed unless they had been confirmed by an unquestionable and concrete fact. There were three apparitions by which Our Lord wanted to console his chosen one. The first one happened on December 27, 1673. In this apparition, the young virgin was by Jesus Christ consecrated as his apostle; called her to spread and to propagate the cult to its adorable Heart; to show men its will; and to make them know what the Sacred Heart of Jesus promises to those who make known and propagate his cult. The second happened in the octave of Corpus Christi in 1674. In this apparition, Jesus showed the unexplainable wonders of his love and the excess that His Heart had taken towards men, from whom He did not receive more than abandonment and insults. Later he added: "The abandonment in which they leave me is to me much more painful than when I suffered in my passion, so much so that if men would exchange my love, I would consider that I did not do enough and if at all possible would like to have done more; but men have only indifference and repulse to all my requests. You at least console me, by giving me whatever you can for their ingratitude”. The third apparition happened June 16, 1675, also in the octave of Corpus Christi. Appearing to her shining like the other times, and showing his Heart to her, complained of the continuous insults and sacrileges that He receives in the Sacrament of love; and he added with more pain, than he received them from consecrated hearts to Him. The mission to her was to make known and love his adorable Heart and to establish in the Church a special feast of reparation. "I request to you: that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, a specific feast be dedicated to honor to my Heart, receiving Holy Communion to soothe and repair all the indignities that it receives in the Holy Altar. And my promise to you is that my Heart will dilate to scatter with abundance the wealth of its Love on all those that will receive this honor and will endeavor others to do the same". In this third revelation everything about the devotion to the Sacred Heart is encompassed; that is its principle, that is nothing other than love; its goal, that is to offer God a repair cult, of consolation; its character, that is being a public cult, after to having been for a long time, an intimate devotion; and finally its effects, that consist of a new effusion of divine love on the Church and particularly on those pious souls that will promoters and apostles of this devotion and apostles, since Jesus said to the Saint: "Announce and let the entire know that I will not put limits to my benefits when these are requested through my Heart". The promises given by the Sacred Heart of Jesus in these appearances to the Saint are the following ones:
These promises express, better than any other, that the treasures of his Heart be known and the blessings he bestows to those that work for his glory. St. Margarita Maria wrote: "If it were understood how much Jesus Christ wishes that this devotion propagates, all the Christians, even the least pious ones, would practice it. Since immense they are the treasures that the Sacred Heart spills on which they take care in making know this devotion. I do not know an exercise more apt devotion to shortly elevate time to a soul to the highest perfection than the cult of the Sacred Heart. I do not know exercise more apt than this devotion to elevate a soul in a short time to the highest perfection than the cult of the Sacred Heart. It would be sweet to die after having practiced a tender and constant devotion to the Sacred Heart. General conditions to participate in all these true promises is the one of being devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is to love to him, to honor him and to do whatever were possible, to glorify to him, to praise to him, still having exposed its image. The six first promises are effective to attract the love of Jesus and to convey the graces particularly about this life. With these promises Jesus Christ it decides his blessings to the families where it will be honored to his Adorable Heart with special prayers or where it will be had exposed his image. With these promises Jesus Christ it conveys his blessings to the families who will honor his Loving Heart with special prayers where his image is exposed. The other five promises refer to superior graces, or spiritual graces. In the promises the treasures of graces are assured to all devotees to the Sacred Heart regardless of their condition; since Jesus wants to be loved by all the men, no one is excluded from that ocean of Mercy. Now, since the good Teacher has made to us so many precious promises, how could we not approach them, and change the love that Jesus has to us. How can we live up to his promises by promulgating this cult, exposing and venerating in our homes its image, in order to participate in his promises!!! THE GREAT PROMISE In addition to these eleven promises very loved the Christian, there is a plus, done in the 1674. It is twelfth and is commonly called the "Great Promise" because it is a summary of all the others. And indeed of this one we must speak. While the pious Nun experienced sweetest ecstasy, she was subdued and with her arms crossed across her chest, her face kindled by an interior flame, a heavenly light only seen by her, cast on the altar and she saw the Loving Savior showing her his Heart. This divine Heart was covered by flames all around it, with a crown of thorns, pierced and bleeding, Jesus unable to move, and, with the arms crossed on the chest, its face radiated by an inner flame, a celestial light, Vista by her only, shaded the altar and it saw the Adorable Salvador in the act show her Heart to him. It was this divine Heart covered by flames, surrounded by a crown of thorns, pierced with blood dripping from it, with a cross showing. Margarita – thus spoke Jesus I promise to you in the excess of mercy of my Heart, that my all-powerful love will grant to those that on the nine first Fridays of month agree followed... the grace of the final Penance; they will not die in my misfortune, nor without receiving the Holy Sacraments, being to them my Heart safe refuge in that last hour. MEANING OF THE GREAT PROMISE As the Vermeersch says, the text of the "Great Promise" had several explanations, but not all in its right sense. In effect some approve only the practice recommended and annul the promise. Others, watching the immensity of the benefit, feel the necessity to attenuate it and that they understand to say, that they will not die in his misfortune, those that did not fall in her; and that Holy Communion gives only one greater hope; but these completely clear the specialty of the promise. Others interpret it in the literal sense that it is as it follows: "Those that will on the first Friday of the month, for nine consecutive months, receive Holy Communion, with the due dispositions, will surely obtain the grace of final perseverance.” Therefore, those that will make an effort in satisfying the required conditions are certain of their eternal salvation. Now this statement must be preferred to any other, because this one single one demonstrates the infinite value of the Great Promise as it has in the text of the Saint. In the same way it is explained why Our Lord speaks of the Great Promise like an excess of its mercy and a triumph of its omnipotent love. Without the grace of God, we cannot persevere in justice; and although God grants all graces enough to be saved, it does not mean that He cannot grant the more effective graces, and to do this by virtue of a promise. Like the promise of Jesus Christ to lead the Church to the final triumph, it assures such thing to us, therefore the Great Promise can guarantee the good death. Since the grace can prevail over the weakness and the human obstinacy, thus it can avoid the future presumption and the hardening in the sin. Regarding Milani it is hard to explain how this so extraordinary promise, has been hidden until 1869, when Fr. Franuori began to spread it. Perhaps one was afraid not to be able to maintain it theologically or with fear that the faithful would abused it. There was no reason to fear, since the faithful always obtain new fervor; while the wisest theologians demonstrate it according to the principles of the catholic doctrine. Our Lord after revealing to his servant everything about the cult of its Divine Heart wanted that the different parts from this Devotion were developed according to the necessities. In effect the revelations happened between year 1673 and 1691; and the celebration of the Sacred Heart was granted to France in 1765, and only Pío XI granted greater development liturgical. Thus the practice of the first Friday of the month was introduced immediately after the first revelations; while that of the nine first Fridays, "the Great Promise" began when finishing century XIX, during which time incredulity reigned and the Papacy was under attack, thus it was necessary to give new fervor to the Christian life and to inflame the hearts of pure love; instilling greater force and confidence to them. Indeed at that time, Jesus Christ reminded the world of his Great Promise. After the revelations to Sta. Margarita Maria Alacoque, in the heart of generous pious people and, rekindled like a love fire, that, with all the energy of their souls and defying ridicule, the insults and the persecutions of the world, of this enemy of God and the Saints, began to preach the love of Jesus, the cult due to their Sacred Heart, and with words full of divine love they stigmatized the human ingratitude. Its voice was heard, and the Heart of Jesus saw an increase every year more, faithful and generous correspondence in always greater number of hearts; and now it is the object of desires, the aspirations, and the love of all good Christian. BASIS OF THE GREAT PROMISE However, one is not due to think that the devotion to the Sacred Heart leans exclusively in the revelations to Santa Margarita Alacoque. It already existed in the Church; it was the cult of Jesus Christ, Man-God. It is based on still more firm and solid bases, that is on the same infallibility of the Church, that is proposed to us. The particular revelations that God makes to the Saints, cannot routinely be admitted prudently but only after the judgment of the Church. But, when she has passed judgment, nothing else must stop it to us; because the Church, on the one hand teaches to us (and in this his judgment it is infallible), that nothing in it is against the catholic doctrine; and by another one although it does not force to admit them to us, like divine things, assures to us to be able to welcome prudently them; and this only after having examined extensively, meticulously and rigorously, after to have looked for and to have found the most authentic and safe tests. This infallible Teacher really settled down a rigorous process also for the devotion to the Sacred Heart, and after recognizing the revelations as authentic she used them to provoke greater devotion towards the Sacred Heart, and to stress with greater effectiveness to the one than already new form existed of the Man-God. Thus with its authority the church confirmed it solemnly assuring at the same time the stability and excellence to us of this devotion. The doubtful form in that it was expressed by the saint cannot put in doubt the promise, because she does not declare more than its perfect obedience to her mother superior who imposed her not to speak of its revelations in doubtful form. The canonization of a person proves the integrity of the person and the approval judgment testifies that in her writings there was nothing in opposition to the faith, to the moral and the mercy. The Great Promise was examined by extreme theologians and was accepted, so much so Pope Benedicto XV on May 13, 1920 wanted to insert it in the Bula of canonization of the saint. And this insertion, is certainly the most beautiful proof of the authenticity of the Great Promise. PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART Our Lord promises to all those that will receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of the month, for nine consecutive months in state of grace promises: 1) The grace of not dying in mortal sin, that is to die in a state of grace state and therefore be saved. 2) The grace of the final perseverance, which is to erase with the penance the sins, and to complement this with: "they will not die in my misfortune". 3) They will not die without receiving the Sacraments, this must be understood that they will not die without the Sacraments, if they will have of them absolute necessity; therefore if they were in state of mortal sin, it assures that it provides means to them to make a good confession; and in case of sudden death, when it is necessary, it will know at least to induce them to an act of perfect contrition to give back the friendship to him of God. 4) Of being its refuge in the last moments of the life. In order that the men did not have to fear for the immensity of the favor, and they did not say that a so small cause cannot produce a so extraordinary effect, Jesus Christ said that he induced to this promise by the infinite mercy and omnipotent love that takes to the men! Therefore one interposes the excess of the mercy and the love of Jesus Christ, and this must eliminate all fear. Often the men promise to people and friends, more than what they can provide to them; not Jesus Christ; He love the souls infinitely and He can provide whatever they desire. He wants to give them the grace of a good death, he promises it with his kindness and with his omnipotence he grants it. Who then, understands the value of a Communion, and knows that nine Communions are nine intimate unions of the soul with God, and knows that a Communion reaches to sanctify a soul, it will not marvel itself that Jesus, requesting nine, makes so great promise. Whoever does what Jesus Christ commands, can be sure to be saved. REQUIREMENTS To obtain the Great Promise, it is required that: 1) Receive nine Holy Communions for that is safe to be in grace state, is not necessary nine Confessions, but only nine Communions done well. Those that do not reach the nine will not reach the goal. 2) Communions must be on the first Fridays of the month. It is not possible to be differed for another day of the week, i.e. Sunday, or in another Friday that is not the first Friday of the month. No condition can give to us of this. Not the forgetfulness, it impossibility to confess; not due to disease or another cause. Not even the Confessor can change the day or allow its interruption, because the Church has not granted this faculty to anybody. 3) Must be for nine months consecutive, and who left it by a single month, it would not valid; and if it had left it still involuntarily it would have to begin again. Although authoritarian theologians say that being really serious cause, the interruption can be considered as if it had not happened, we say that who truly loves the Heart of Jesus and wants to make sure his eternal luck, fulfills generously what the Divine Teacher requests, without looking for excuses. 4) With the due dispositions. Here the Catechism says to us that to make a good Communion three things are necessary: 1ª, to be in grace of God; 2ª, to fast before receiving Holy Communion; 3ª, to know what one is going to receive and to approach to agree with devotion, and adds that: who receives a Sacrament of the alive ones knowing of not being in grace of God, she commits the very serious sin of sacrilege, because she receives something sacred unduly. A sacrilegious Communion despises rather than honors the Heart of Jesus Christ; and it does not obtain the aim with complete certainty. Even when there is no extraordinary fervor, the Communions honor the Divine Heart, thus it must be received in a state of grace. Another reason is the intention to repair the continuous insults that the Blessed Sacrament receives and to obtain the fruit of the Great Promise. FACILITIES The intention necessary to obtain the aim of the Great Promise reaches to formulate it once in the beginning after the nine Communions, provided it follows with the same intention until the end. It is then, a good for renewing the intention every time. The practice of the nine first Fridays, can begin any month. For students the month of April would be advisable, to finish with December; while for the others another month can agree, according to the people and uses that are had. After the Priests and the people who agree daily, it reaches to put repairing the intention to also do they them to nine Communions to this end. For the Priest it is not necessary to apply the Mass in honor to the Sacred Heart; it can apply it for whoever he wishes, provided he receives Holy Communion to make sure of the Great Promise, to honor and to repair to the Divine Heart by the continuous solitude in which she is left. Also the faithful can offer the Holy Communion for whoever they wish, provided they also have that intention. With these Communions the indulgences can be still applied that gain for the souls of the Purgatory, especially the plenary one granted to that in the first Friday of the month meditates briefly before and after the Communion, in the infinite kindness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and requests according to the intentions of the Extreme Pontiff (S. C. of the Indulgences, 7 of September of 1897). Once this pious practice is completed, it is excellent thing to repeat it for all the life. After this it reaches to put the intention, for always, returning once to begin since it has been finished. THE DAILY CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART (Act of Consecration which Santa Margarita Maria did to the Divine Heart of Jesus) I, N. N., I dedicate myself and I consecrate to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and my being and my life to him, my actions, pains and sufferings, so as not to use any part of my being to serve him, to honor to him, to love him and to glorify him. This is my irrevocable will: to belong to Him entirely and to do everything for my love to Him, giving up any and all things in my being that can displease Him. I thus receive you, then, divine Heart, like the only object of my love, the protector of my life, security of my salvation, remedy of my fragility and my inconsistency, answer to all the needs in my life, and my safe asylum at the hour of death. Thus, be my shield and my justification before God Father, and deflect from me the rays of His right indignation. Oh most loving heart, in you I place all my trust, because, even fearing everything due to my weaknesses, I expect everything from your kindness. It consumes, then, in me all whatever can disgust or resist. Imprint your love so deeply in my heart, that I may never forget it, nor can I be apart from you. I request vehemently for the sake of your kindness that my name be written in you. I want all my happiness and all my glory living and dying carrying the chains of your slavery. So be it. TRUST NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS Trust is an act by which we hope to obtain from God our salvation and the necessary means for it. It is a virtue that locks up faith, hope and charity. The foundation of the confidence is in that God is our Father, who takes care of more of us than the crows and the lilies (Lc. 12, 24-27). Nobody enjoys more the kindness of the Heart of Jesus than the one with the greatest trust in Him. The worse and greatest evil that the demon causes is not to trust. “What pleases him the most is the trust confidence in Him" (Santa Margarita). We need more trust, and the best way to attain it is to request it from God. We can request the trust and all the graces and goods that we need with "the Trust Novena”. “Let us go with confidence to the throne of grace”. (Hb.4, 16) How to pray the Trust Novena: Oh Jesus, to your Heart I trust (this soul, this pain, this business), look at it, and let your Heart tell You what to do; it lets build to your Heart. Oh Jesus, I have you, I entrust myself to You, I give myself You, I am safe of You. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust You (nine times). Oh Sweet Jesus, that have said: "If you want to please to me, Trusts Me; if you want to please me more, Trust Me more; if you want to please me even more, Trust Me immensely; the trusting souls are the grantees of my graces.". I trust You immensely. In You, Lord, I hope; I am not eternally confused. Amen. PRAYERS ACT OF TRUST IN the SACRED HEART DE JESUS Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus, God and man, delight of the Saints, refuge of sinners and hope of those that Trust You. You kindly said to us: "You come to me"; and you repeat the words that you said to the quadriplegic: "Have faith son; your sins are pardoned", and to the ill woman: "Trust me daughter; your faith has saved you ", and to the Apostles: "Trust me. I am. Don’t be afraid”. Encouraged by your words, I come to You confidently to tell you sincerely from the depths of my soul: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust You. (To each invocation we repeat "SACRED HEART OF JESUS I TRUST YOU")
In my Happiness and
Sorrows Heart of my kind Jesus, I trust You and will always trust You and by the intercession of the Heart of your Mother, I request to You that this trust in You never falters, or becomes weak, in spite of all the adversities and all the tests that You want to send me, so that, having been my consolation in life, you are my refuge at the hour of death and my glory for all eternity. Amen. Final prayer Oh, Lord Jesus, your holy mysteries instill in us a divine fervor, with which, having received the kindness of your sweetest Heart, we learn to disregard the material things, and to yearn for the heavenly things. You that live and reign forever and ever. Amen. ACT OF TRUST OF BLESSED CLAUDIO DE LA COLOMBIÈRE Oh my God, I am so convinced that you watch over all our needs, and we will not lack anything that I have decided from now on and having given you all my doubts and insecurities, I will live without care, trust in You for everything. I will sleep and rest in peace, since You, only You, have assured me of my hope. Men can strip me of the goods and reputation; diseases can weaken me to serve you; I myself I can lose your grace by sin; but I will not lose my hope; I will conserve it until the last moment of my life and all the efforts of the demons of hell to take it from me will be in vain. I will sleep and rest peacefully. That others wait for their happiness from their wealth or talents; that they lean on the innocence of their lives, or on the rigor of their penance, or on the number of their good deeds, or on the fervor of their prayers. As for me, Lord, all my confidence is my same confidence. Because You Lord, only You, have assured my hope. No one has been fooled by this trust. No one has been frustrated that has trusted in the Lord. Therefore, I am sure that I will be eternally happy, because from you is from whom I will receive it. I will wait for you because you my God will be the source, and I will never be confused. I know well, and too well, that I am fragile and unstable; I know how much temptations against the firmest virtue can do; I have seen stars fall from the sky as well as the columns of the firmament; but nothing can scare me. While my hope is firm, I will be safe from all calamities; and I am safe to always wait for, because I wait for this invariable hope. In short, I am sure that I cannot wait for with excess of you and that I will obtain everything what it will have hoped to obtain from you. Thus, I hope that you will protect me in the fastest and slippery slopes, that you will fortify to me against the most violent assaults and than you will make my weaknesses prevail over my more formidable enemies. I hope that you will always love me and that I will love you without interruption; and to arrive as far as possible with all my hope, I will wait for You, My Creator, now and for all eternity. So be it. TO THE SACRED SIDE SORE AND HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Jesus, Most Kind, allow the sore of your Sacred Heart to be my refuge, strength and defense against your wrath, and remedy of all the sins, especially the mortals, of the deceits of the demon, of the world, of the flesh, and of pride; as all the dangers of the body, and, mainly, so as to avoid the eternal damnation. Let it be the abyss where my sins disappear, to which with perfect hatred and painful heart I throw all my imperfections, not to return or commit them. Grant me, most amiable Jesus, just a little drop of blood from the sore of your merciful Heart, as a symbol that all my sins are forgiven. Keep me in the intimacy of your Sacred Heart, and keep me, hug me, purify me, and sear me turning me as close to You as possible, so that I may disappear, and will only look for deeds and works that will be pleasing and acceptable to your most pure Heart. Amen |
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