I’ve noticed that, once more, Catholic social media accounts are calling out about June being dedicated to the Sacred Heart. It’s been some time since I read Sister Margaret Mary’s reluctant autobiography about her visions of Christ. I say reluctant because, like so many other Catholic visionary Saints, she sought to be a recluse and to not receive publicity for herself. But messages like the one she received cannot be detached from the prophetic figures that bring them to the people. And Sister MM was a prophet. Here’s a short essay on her experiences:
She entered a community of the Visitation Sisters at Paray-le-Monial on the 25the of May, 1671, greatly gifted with humility and a generous spirit that drove her to choose duties for herself that made life particularly intolerable for herself. She found refuge from this in the Sacred Heart, and Christ acted personally as her spiritual director, confiding to her the mission to spread abroad devotion to His Sacred Heart. Religious superiors don’t generally look kindly on reports of spiritual excesses bestowed on their subordinates, and MM was called to obedience and to continue to lead the common life of the Sisters, despite the extraordinary favours shown her by the Most High. Suffering was His gift to her and she established the Holy Hour and the Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. Christ called upon men and women in general to return to love of Him, and so to receive from the treasury of His Sacred Heart the love and mercy that was His gift, the sanctification and so the salvation that He had designed for the race of men. The Friday after the octave (eight days) of the feast of Corpus Christi was named by Christ Himself as the feast day of His Sacred Heart. He called Sister MM His beloved disciple of the Sacred Heart. She died with the Holy Name of Jesus upon her lips.
Here are the several promises made by Christ to those who would take up devotion to His Sacred Heart:
“I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
“I will establish peace in their homes.
“I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
“I will be their secure Refuge during life, and above all in death.
“I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
“Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
“Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
“Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
“I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and honoured.
“I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
“Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart.
“I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.”
Catholic Louth and Mablethorpe 