The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-02
Month of the Sacred Heart.

few years ago, these beautiful lines, whiot
have the true ring of Catholic faith:
Jesus on high is unaltered from that He
was below. StiIl does He wear the form of the
servant. There 10 q man in the highest hea
ven. The same heart beats in His glorified
body. The same truly human sympathy times
its throbs The same eternal love is its nm,
changing law"
Cardinal Manning, in the "Glores Of the
Sacred Heart" writes in the same strain:
AZ the right hand of God there sits the In.
oarnate Son God clothed in our humanity for
ever. Bat the heart of Jesus is q heart of
fesh-e sy mbol, indeed, beosnse it best sy ymbol.
ICES and manifesto the eternal love of God; bot
| it is more than this, it 10 also q reality. And
that human heart Of il sas was, in the hypos-
| tatio union, united with the eternal charity
and sanctity of God-all the ardor of the eter-
nal love is there, and all the fervor and all the
tenderness of our humanity are there"
| Here We have the meaning of this month
devoted to the honor, glory, praise and wor-
| ship of the Sacred Heart-that Heart which is
| "the eternal Love of God clothed in the SYM
psthies of our humanity" and which throbs
for each living soul with infinite and un-
changing pity. It's desire-constant and uu-
fsltering-is to transform the whole world
into Its own resemblance. "Learn from Ne
to be meek and humble of heart" is the lesson
taught for eighteen hundred years, and which
has built up in individuals, in families, in
peoples and in nations the grand Christianity
which we see pervading the world to-day.
The Catholic Church is Il 9 agent established
by this Sacred Heart to carry out It's divine
plan of love and redemption. By Her means
" the outward life ard the in ward Heart of our
Divine RedeemeT have become the pattern and
Jaw to men," She is the outpouIine of the
Sacred Heart, and from Her lips We learn the
fol he IT,,
compassion and tenderness.
She is constantly bearing tIese glad tidinge
to distant lands No sooner does civiliz alton
open a pathway into unknown places, than
Sne hastens to proclaim the mercies of the
Sacred Heart, and every conquest She has won
has been by means of this inetfAble my ystery.
But knowing how prone the human mind is
to forgetfnlness and indf srence, the Church
like the thoughtful mother She is, sets a month
apart as especially dedicated to the kno Wedge
and service of the Sacred Heart. She has chosen
tie ardent month of June, with its wealth of
flowers and it's glorious sunshine, as best fitted
for this devotion because it ypifes the burn
ing love and unbounded wealth of that Sacred
Heart which is ever yearning for the love of
It's creatures and which is ever pouring ont
upon them the fragrance of Its compassion and
forgiveness. And then She sets in the midst
of the month, like glorious jewel in crown,
the Feast itself of the Sacred Heart-a day
when She bids all nature, animate and inani-
mate, glorify the King of the universe; a day
when She brings the hearts ofmen close to the
Heart of their loving God, that Its charity,
purity, meskness, holiness and divine compass
sion may transform them into a resemblance
of Itself.
This then is the lesson of June-an Imita-
tation of the virtues of the Sacred Heart.
Sublime conception of the Church of God
tender and beautiful planning of the Sacred
Heart above, to win the human hearts below
Ineffable goodness of the King Of Heaven, to
secure the 10y atty and happiness of the kings
of earth
II we strive to acquire the true meaning of
this sublime Lesson, so as to put into practice
all it's details of sweetness, lowliness, humili-
ty, forgiveness of ipjories, self abne CATION,
perfect resignation, etc, how soon the world
would become "the Kingdom of Cod" and the
Apecslyptic Vision of ST. John be realized in
all it's glory and completeness.
Let Cardinal Manning's words be the last
upon this subject, which appeals SO lovingly
to the hearts of men: ~
1--WE know that friends who love one another
become ike TO one anoGher; Gney cAtcn the
very tones of each others voices they ex-
change the very look of each others counten-
az ces-features the most dissimilar acquire a
strange likeness in expression. So it is with
our souls, if we live in the habit of prayer;
that is, in converting and of speaking with
our Divine Friend. When Stephen stood be-
fore the Council, his face shone like the face
of an angel. The light of the presence of his
Master in Heaven fell upon it. And they who
live life of prayer are being ever changed
into the likeness of their Divine Lord. do
| not mean that they are outwardly transformed;
I do not mean that there come rays ont of
their hands or-their side, or that there is any
respleudent light upon their ountenar ces, but
mean this, that there is gentleness, a sweet
ness, kindness, q lowliness, an attraction
| about their life which makes every body at
peace with them. Everybody draws near to
them with q tranquil confidence and q rest of
heart. We know that with come people,
though they are good and just, yet when we
approach them we have q sense of fear; but
where there is in any man q likeness to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, there is an attraction
which goes out from him. The world
I