For The Nine Days Following The Feast Of The Sacred Heart

Third Day - Devotedness Of The Heart Of Jesus

Preparation. - The spirit of sacrifice which we have meditated in Jesus, leads to perfect devotedness. Let us consider, first, how great is the devotedness of the Heart of Jesus, and secondly, how it fill Him with the desire of uniting Himself to us by transforming us into Himself. Let us imitate the Saviour's generosity by unreservedly consecrating ourselves, as He did, to the service of God and our neighbor, however much it may cost us, for "He loved us and delivered Himself for us" (Eph. 5. 2).

I. Devotedness Of The Heart Of Jesus.

We prove our devotedness by the greatness of the sacrifices we make for our neighbor's sake. The rich man giving his goods practices charity, indeed, but he would practice it still better, were he to devote himself to the service of his fellowmen. The eternal Word, not content with sending us His light and graces, His prophets and servants, came Himself to labor for the salvation of us all. Infinitely noble and rich, as He was, He did not disdain to abase Himself to our nothingness and to be the poorest among us. He underwent many privations and hardships at Bethlehem and in Egypt. At Nazareth He earned His bread by the sweat of His brow, though He was the King of glory and the riches of heaven.

Moreover, He took upon Himself our iniquities in order to expiate them. All His days were spent in a continual martyrdom; we were the guilty ones, and His Heart was the victim ever immolated for our salvation. Soon the time of His Passion drew near. He did not hesitate, but gave himself up for us to the fury of His enemies. Outraged, buffeted, scourged, crowned with thorns, He embraced the instrument of His death and carried it to Calvary, allowed Himself to be nailed thereon to die the death of criminals. Thus did our God take revenge on our sins and assume the punishment due to us. O unequalled devotedness, beyond all conception!

The Heart of Jesus completed it by perpetuating among us His Church, making her the depository of His doctrine, sacraments and sacrifice. He linked Himself to our exile by the greatest of prodigies. Every day, at every hour, at every moment, He immolates Himself somewhere in this world; and there is no moment and no country, in which He does not renew in our favor the devotedness of His bloody sacrifice, by mystically sacrificing Himself for us. His is a truly unspeakable charity, which should forever crush our icy hearts and annihilate in us our cold selfishness, so little capable of self-denial!

O generous love of the Heart of my Jesus, destroy in me whatever hinders me from undividedly loving Thee, especially my self-love so averse to suffering, discomfort and exertion, whenever there is question of obeying Thee or helping Thee in the person of my neighbor. Make me meek, obliging, ever ready to console the afflicted, to compassionate misfortunes, to forget injuries, to exercise mercy and practice charity. I am resolved, first, to stifle in me all the complaints, vexations and murmurs of nature, when my services are called for; and secondly, then to show myself so much the more happy, as the act required of me is more difficult or disagreeable to my taste.

II. Christ Induced By His Devotedness To Unite Himself To Us.

Not content with giving Himself up entirely to the torments of His Passion, and to perpetuate on earth the sacrifice of Calvary for the benefit of our souls, Jesus wished to give Himself to us also as food, and why? That He might transform us into Himself. The generosity of His Heart was not satisfied with so many prodigies wrought for our sake; He wished to crown all by making us His second self. The immolation of the Creator for His creatures is a devotedness well calculated to amaze heaven and all nature; but how can we sufficiently praise our great God for exalting us to Himself, to make us sharers of His goods and to transform us into His divinity? Is not this loving us as much as Himself, loving vile and abject beings, as we are, as much as the divine Majesty that fills the universe? O depth of divine love, and incomprehensible mysteries of uncreated love!

But how are these mysteries accomplished in us? By means of holy Communion, by which Jesus descends into us, dispersing our darkness, as the sun dispels the shades of night; warming up and fecundating our hearts; and then, after purifying them by His grace, sanctifying, deifying them, as it were, imparting to them the sentiments of His own Heart, and gradually forming them after His image and likeness. Were our holy Communions always truly fervent, how rapidly would the transformation of our soul into Jesus be accomplished!

But, sweet Lord, who is better able than Thou to dispose me for so signal a favor? If an illustrious monarch intended to pay a solemn visit to a poor hut, would he not previously cause it to be adorned with the richest draperies, that he might find therein a reception worthy of his dignity? Be pleased to do likewise, O Jesus, my loving Sovereign, when Thou comest to me; purify my heart of its every stain, free it from the mire of its evil habits, enrich it with heavenly gifts, embalm it with faith, hope and charity, and adorn it with every virtue. My beloved Mother Mary, so pure and so holy, lend me thy heart, or rather place in my breast the Heart of Jesus, so that when I receive Him in the divine Banquet, I may become one with Him.

O my God, I grieve in Thy presence for having so often received holy Communion with scarcely any preparation, first, after a day full of venial faults and infidelities; secondly, after a careless confession, made with but little faith, repentance and fervor; and thirdly, after a tepid meditation, full of distractions, which left me cold, devoid of devotion in the very furnace of sacred love.