The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-03
THE SACRED HEART.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is as
old as Christianity itself. It's founda-
ton was laid upon Mount Calvary
when the Divine Heart of the Re-
deemer, pierced by the lance, was
opened as an inviolable asylum OF re-
fuge for faithful followers of Christ.
Zone of the soldiers opened his side
with a spear" John xix:34. The
Fathers, particularly st. Augustine, IN
explaining this passage, remark that
the Evangelist made use of the word
Opened" for a special reason, for
otherwise it would have been more
natural for him to have said: "One
of the soldiers pierced his side" But
the favorite disciple of Jesus, who, at
the Last Supper, rested upon the
bosom of his Divine Master, and was
permitted to penetrate the mysteries OF
his Divine Heart, designedly used the
expression, "One of the soldiers open
ed his side" to indicate that the side
of the Saviour was opened for no
other purpose than to afford us free
access to his Divine Heart. Viewed
in this light, the devotion to the
Sacred Heart is nothing new. Still,
the Church had existed for more than
sixteen centuries before any special
or marked honor was shown to the
adorable Heart of Jesus. But in the
seventeenth century, at time when
love for God began to grow cold
among men, and religious indifference
was widespread, this Divine Heart
was to become, in the designs or
Providence, the object of special
devotion that was to extend over the
whole Church.
For the accomplishment of the
grandest works God frequently makes
use of the weakest instruments, IN
order that, when apparently insur-
mountable obstacles are overcome,
His cooperation may be made mani
fest to all. In 1875 there lived in the
convent of the Visitation at Paray-le-
Monial, in France, pious nun named
Margaret Mary Alacoque. Practising
the most exact obedience, she re-
nounced entirely her own will, and
embraced that of God alone as mani
tested to her by her superiors. Her
love for God was equalled only by her
contempt for herself and for all that
was of the world. 1t was this SOUL,
so pure, that God made choice OF to
establish the devotion to the Sacred
Heart, and in the following manner:
One day, during the octave OF Corpus
Christi, whilst she was engaged IN
nrayer before the Blessed Sacrament,
Jesus Christ, her Beloved, suddenly
appeared ~before her, and, uneoVerlng
his breast, showed her His heart This
Divine Heart, enthroned, as 1t were,
in flames, was surrounded by crown
of thorns, and the wound it had re-
ceiyed was still open, while cross,
more brilliant than the sun, sur
mounted all. After permitting MS
servant to contemplate this spectacle
for a time in silence, our Lord uttered
these loving words: Behold this
Heart, which so loves men as to spare
itself in nothing, even exhaustlng IT.
self and being consumed for the love
of them. 1t is my desire,
therefore, that the first Friday after
the octave of the Blessed Sacrament
be observed in a special manner as
the feast of my Heart, by offering a
Communion with reparation OF
honor for all the insults and indigni-
ties which it has received since the
institution of the Sacrament of the
Altar. / promise that my Heart shall
bestoW it's love abundantly on those
who will render me this honor or
fn 40 rnn6nrQ6
others"
That there might be no doubt con-
corning the divine origin of this de-
yotion, God permitted it in the begin
ming to encounter the creates OBJ
stacles and opposition; but having
received the approval of the Apostolic
See, it soon spread with a success
and rapidity that could only be attri-
buted to divine interposition.
The devotion of the Sacred Heart
has for it's aim, to honor the infinite
love of Jesus toward men, and to
make reparation for the insults and
outrages heaped upon Him, especially
in the mystery of His love-the ador-
able Eucharist-by heretics, infdels,
and bad Catholics. Nearly every de-
votion practised in the Church has
twofold aspect, the one material and
visible, giving a title to the devotion;
the other spiritual and invisible, which
is the implicit object of the devotion.
In the devotion to the Sacred Heart
the exterior or visible object is that
Heart united to the Person of the Di-
vine Word made flesh. The spiritual
and invisible object is the ardent and
all-absorbing love of Jesus.
AS the heart of man represents
to us, in an ordinary way of speaking,
his sentiments, his virtues, his good
qualities, his whole interior, so the
adorable Heart of Jesus is a represen.