Part 16

Thee, Thee alone, O Heart of my God, will I love! Heart most pure, Heart most holy, never tiring of my insults, ever forgiving and forgetting, and, if I do but love Thee sincerely, admitting me as a chosen friend to Thy sweet company. “Come unto Me, all you that labor, and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” Seek not elsewhere for relief in sorrow: come to the Heart of One Who loves you. Never will you meet with a more generous giver, never will you meet a kinder friend, never will you meet one who will bear with you more patiently in your trials and temptations. Be comforted, then, my heart, in having this God of love, Who will not abandon you; Who has no sweeter choice than to hearken to your prayers. Well, dear Lord, behold how my poor soul is chained down, what billows of sorrow buffet it and all but wreck it. Come then, O Heart of my Jesus, come to me or I perish. In Thee alone do I find relief. Be Thou a thousand times blessed, O sweetest Heart, for all Thy mercy! O admirable Heart, forgive my guilty wretchedness. Henceforth Thee alone will I seek, Thee alone will I love. I shall serve Thee and Thee only till my dying gasp, in hope of praising and loving Thee forever more in heaven.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, be Thou praised and blessed forever as the source of supernatural life, the nourishment of the soul, and the sustenance of the spirit! From Thy fulness all good is poured out upon us. Fill my heart, I beseech Thee, with the sentiments that inspired Thy adorable Heart. Amen.

Fifth Day. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Teaching Charity.

Thy Heart, O my Jesus, is a mystery of charity; mine is a mystery of malice. I am ashamed and confounded when I consider attentively Thy Heart, O my Jesus! Thou, the Creator and Master of all things—Thou art meek and lowly of heart, and I, a poor outcast, am full of pride and presumption. How often have I not outraged Thy love and despised Thy law, and still Thou art silent and forgivest me! Thou art ever ready to welcome back Thy lost sheep, no matter how far they have strayed, nor how deeply they have wounded and insulted Thy loving Heart! And can it be that after that I would dare violate the charity I owe my neighbor? That I would, for a slight offence, allow proud and revengeful feelings to take possession of my heart? Oh, what a contrast to Thy gentleness and patience! I cannot forget the least insult received, whilst Thou, O my God, at the first sincere prayer for pardon wilt forget all the injuries that I have offered Thee. Could I then fail to choose Thy Heart as a model for my own? But how can this cold heart of mine ever resemble that kindest Heart of Thine? Thou alone possessest the remedy. Behold me then, O sweet Jesus, and mercifully regard a misery so profound. “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.” I will extol Thee, O God my King, and I will bless Thy name forever and ever.

Prayer.

Be Thou praised and blessed forever, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Who in the fervor of Thy charity, hast devised a miraculous means of filling hearts with the holy flame of Thy divine love. Impress my heart so deeply with this divine seal, that nothing may ever enter into it, or proceed from it, that is not in conformity with Thy Sacred Heart. Amen.

Sixth Day. The Heart of Jesus My Comforter.

To whom can I more confidently tell my many needs and frailties than to Him Who knows them more clearly than I do myself? Thy voice, O Jesus, alone has the power to console and comfort the heart that loves Thee. They are blind indeed who go in search of consolation and happiness from creatures. Why did I not fly to Thee when I felt the first onset of this world? I turned hither and thither, seeking on all sides for aid and comfort, but I turned not my glance to Thee, Who alone canst rescue the soul from sin. Heart of Jesus, oh, what manner of love is Thine! Forgive my past foolishness, and now that I return again to Thee, give me grace never to leave Thee. Let my soul, like Magdalen, rest at Thy sacred feet. Stay with me, O Jesus, stay with me forever. Teach me what I must needs do to live with Thee, and I shall trample under foot all the joy and gain this world can offer me. I shall embrace with gladness for Thy sake all afflictions and all sorrows. But, O my God, shelter beneath the wings of Thy love every instant of my life, and encourage and strengthen my poor weak heart.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I adore the admirable impulse which made Thee all Thy life a victim of love, and led Thee to consummate it by a death of perfect love. Grant that by Thy holy grace, my heart may become a living sacrifice, desiring only to be offered up and to offer up all things for Thy greater glory. Amen.

Seventh Day. The Heart of Jesus My Helper in Trials.

How few are there who love God alone for His own sake, and bless Him alike in sorrow and in joy! Why, O my God, do I fear to travel on the royal road of the cross—the only road that Thou hast travelled, and the shortest and surest way to heaven? Do I forget that Thy cross sanctified and redeemed the world, and formed the bliss of Thy elect in heaven? Why, then, do I shrink from carrying it with courage? Let us remember that our union with Jesus crucified will be the measure of our union with Him in glory. That in suffering for Jesus we show our true love for Him. Oh, a thousand times blessed are all who clasp the cross to their hearts and follow Jesus. Be not sad, my soul, when thou art in pain: the Heart of Jesus was crushed far more than thine. That sweet Heart of my Jesus was overwhelmed with sadness at the sight of our sins, pierced with a thousand deadly shafts, humiliated, abandoned by His Father: finally cruelly wounded on the cross, shedding His blood, even to the last drop. Compare such sorrow with thine, and yet thou darest complain! Jesus, forgive me, forgive such a vile wretch, and crown Thy mercy and love.

Prayer.

O almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy well‐beloved Son, and the praise and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of poor sinners. Have mercy upon them, since they ask it through this same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Eighth Day. In the Heart of Jesus I Shall Find Rest.

O Heart of my Jesus, I will cast myself with sweetest confidence into Thy bosom, and I will rest on Him Who is the everlasting rest of the elect in heaven. I will draw nigh unto Him Who can sweeten all the bitterness of my weary pilgrimage here. I will rest, as John the beloved disciple did, on the Heart of Jesus, and tell Him a hundred times over that peace and comfort cannot be found elsewhere but in that sweet Heart. The Heart of Jesus is the city of refuge, in which we are safe from the pursuit of the enemy. It is the city of refuge, which defends us from the wrath of an angry Judge. Give thy heart to Him, for He has opened His Heart to thee. Give not thy heart to the world, but to Christ thy Lord. O Heart of Jesus! Thou givest to the heart that loves Thee perfect peace, great joy of spirit, and a foretaste of heaven’s delight. My God, make me love Thee, not coldly but with a passionate love. All for Thee, O my God, all for Thee alone—let this be my watchword, and then only will I find true rest and peace. May heaven and earth praise and bless Thee forever.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I unite my heart to the spirits of the blessed, that with them it may sing to Thy glory before the throne of God. The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and glory, and benediction. By Thy virtue guard my heart, and preserve it from the stains of its own sinful desires. Amen.

Ninth Day. The Heart of Jesus an Ocean of Love.

O Heart of Jesus! Thou hast, in the greatness of Thy love, come down to put on the garb of humanity, and to take into Thy breast man’s heart—to make him a source of Thy delights: to soothe the pain that sin inflicts on his wretched soul. O God of love, what then shall I do for Thee Who hast loved me with such an excess of love? What return can I make for such great graces? Ah, yes! I will address Thee with the sweet name of “Father,” a God so generous and so great, and how easy will it be for me to love Thee, O Jesus, my best Friend. In thus dwelling among us He willed to unite Himself with us in a way as intimate as it is incomprehensible. And to bring about this, He instituted the Sacrament of the Altar, and shutting Himself up under the appearance of bread, He enters into our hearts and makes His own flesh our nourishment. This gift of the Eucharist, O my God, is of all Thy wonders the very crown. In this banquet of love, Thou hearest all our sighs and complaints, and Thou forgivest all our sad errors and foolishness. O happy Christians, what a source of happiness we possess! Let us then give Him all the love and gratitude He has a right to expect from us. Let our love be as unlimited as the love Our God has shown unto us. O Jesus, how sweet it would be to live for Thee and Thee only!

Prayer.

O my good Jesus, within Thy Heart, with sweetness overflowing, I place myself; hide me deep therein that I may never stray away. In life my joy, in death my guide, be Thou unto me my bliss in heaven. This I ask for every one, and I ask it by Thy tears, Thy sweat, Thy sacred blood. Amen.

Tenth Day. The Ingratitude of Men to the Heart of Jesus.

Wherever we cast our eyes we meet with sad proofs of the ingratitude of men to the Heart of Jesus. A large portion of the Christian world is plunged in heresy, denying Christ’s presence in the mystery of the Altar, and not satisfied with refusing to recognize this great benefit they have lifted their sacrilegious hand against the sacred Host. But, O divine Jesus, behold a still more grievous source of sorrow to Thy Heart! It is not from Jews or heretics that Thou receivest these insults, but from Thine own chosen people, the people who profess to believe in Thy real presence. Jesus is in our midst, we know it, and yet He is the only One Whom we forget, the only One Whom we treat with careless indifference. It is thus that Christians respond to the love of Our Lord; it is thus they repay all His benefits. O sweet Jesus, pardon my base ingratitude! Angels of heaven, you who know so much better than I the full extent of the love of Jesus’ Heart towards me, praise Him for me, and bless Him. O my God, grant that I may live poor, unknown, and hidden in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, my divine Master, forgotten and despised by creatures, so that Thou mayest establish Thy reign of love upon my nothingness. I hope that Thou wilt mercifully hear my request, and grant it.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, my Lord! O noblest, greatest, and most generous of all hearts! I adore the divine impulses which led Thee, from the moment of Thy conception, to love me who was nothing, who would offend Thee in so many ways, and so often misuse Thy graces. O holy Friend of hearts, change my heart, and make it choose Thee for its only Friend. Amen.

Eleventh Day. The Gratitude Due to the Heart of Jesus.

If it were in my power, I would return Thee unceasing acts of thanksgiving, and they would still be too little to praise Thee for Thy boundless love. I thank Thee and bless Thee for having poured out Thy most precious blood to wash away my sins. Thou didst reserve nothing for Thyself, Thou didst become dry and barren as a grape trodden in the wine‐ press. O ardent love, that is never extinguished! would that I burned with this fire Thou hast sent on the earth, and which Thou dost so fervently desire to see kindled in souls! O most sweet Jesus, open to me, I humbly beseech Thee, the door of Thy Heart, the door of love and mercy. There only will my troubled soul find sure refuge, my crimes pity and forgiveness. To Thee alone, O Heart of Jesus, I have recourse; assist Thou me. Thou hast sought for me so painfully and so long, O my God, when I strayed from Thy loving care. Behold me here now; I give myself to Thee. With the help of Thy grace I will be faithful to Thee, and will keep my soul in spotless purity and deepest humility. O Heart of my God, prevent me from ever abandoning Thee again! May my heart be always open and ready to admit Jesus, my well beloved. Let me cling to Thy feet, like Magdalen, and give Thee love for love.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, my Saviour, I adore Thee, shedding tears over my sins. Would that I had a fountain of tears in my heart, that I might weep as I ought for the sorrows I have caused Thee! Give me grace to bring forth worthy fruits of penance. I adore Thee, O King of hearts, Who art the delight of heaven and earth! Amen.

Twelfth Day. In the Heart of Jesus is Found the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

O my Jesus, I have never found truth save in Thee, and aside from Thy paths I have never met but vanity and wrong. If Thou dost not guide me in all things, I shall stray about forever, and will quickly perish through fatigue and want. Speak, then, O Lord, speak to Thy servant, and grant him to comprehend Thy wonderful love. Heart of my God, give me to see that Thou art the only way in which I must walk, if I wish to walk aright. What would ever become of me if Thou wert not my life, principally in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, where Thou dwellest actually, corporally, and perpetually, waiting to receive my homage and ever ready to give me all graces and blessings. Oh, how boundless is my need of Thee, my God; draw me unto Thee and dispel the darkness which surrounds me. Deign to accept, O Heart divine, this poor desire. My God, Thou art my Father; have pity on me according to the greatness of Thy mercy. I abandon myself to Thee: do not reject me; make me love Thee and nevermore separate Thyself from me.

Prayer.

O sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou art the heavenly light! Thou dispellest the darkness of the soul, and fillest it with sweetness. Thou art the Heart of hearts, and worthy of the greatest love. Thou art the source of that heavenly fire that enlightens and burns. Inflame my heart with Thy divine ardor, that it may burn with love of Thee to all eternity. Amen.

Thirteenth Day. To the Heart of Jesus Alone I Turn.

We are made for God alone, nor can we find peace elsewhere save in God alone. But who can kindle in us Thy love, if not Thou Thyself, O Lord? Oh, then, sweet Heart of Jesus, I will not cease to knock at the portal of Thy Heart, with tears and true contrition! Let others seek the perishable goods of this world. For my part I ask but Thee alone. Forgive my past unfaithfulness, and unite me so closely to Thee that I may never be able to forsake Thee. Yes, my Saviour, I will leave creatures and all earthly pleasures to run after Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love. But I am ashamed to appear before Thee, O my Jesus, I, who am so naked and so devoid of all virtues. What then am I to do? Am I to appear no more before Thee? Ah, no! this would not please Thee. Thou dwellest in the Sacrament, not only to reward Thy lovers, but also to provide for the poor out of Thy riches. I adore Thee, then, King of my heart! O Shepherd, loving Thy sheep beyond all bounds, to this throne of love I now approach, and having nothing else to give I offer Thee my poor heart. Mercy, O Heart of God, I implore Thee a thousand, thousand times, and pardon for all my sins; grant that this may be the day of my entire conversion, so that I may nevermore cease to love Thee.

Prayer.

Heart of my Jesus, Thou knowest what is wanting in me: Thou knowest that without Thee I can do nothing. Thou knowest my weakness: have pity on me, give me humility, purity of heart, love, and conformity to Thy holy will, strength against my bad habits, remission of my sins, and grace nevermore to commit them. Amen.

Fourteenth Day. The Heart of Jesus Asks for Our Hearts.

“My child, give Me thy heart.” Oh, let me print on my memory such a phrase of love! “My child!” Oh, how sweet it sounds when uttered by the lips of a God! He wishes to dwell in our hearts, not for a certain time, but forever; not as a guest only, but as its Master and its Lord. Jesus says the heart He asks of me is mine: “Give Me thy heart,” instead of claiming it as His right, as a matter of strictest obligation, since all that I am and have comes from Him. Oh, why should it be so difficult for me to yield up my heart to that sweet Lord Who so endearingly says, “My child, give Me thy heart”? The name of friend being insufficient to tell all Thy love, O dear Jesus, Thou dost employ the loving name of child to sweetly compel me to grant Thy fond request. Why is it, my Jesus, that Thou wishest my love? Why dost Thou, by every means, try to gain, by permission, that love which is Thine by every right and title? Oh, how many years Thou hast followed me, and I ever fled away from Thee! How hardened my heart was! It is true I have often returned to Thee for a little while, and Thou didst welcome me, and gave me Thy very self as my food. But too soon I fled away from Thee again. O my dearest Jesus, what favors and benefits I have abused! Pardon me, sweet Jesus: behold me at last here at Thy feet, never to leave Thee more. Take my heart, sweet Lord, and clasp it tightly to Thy Sacred Heart even to the hour of my death; never let me stray from Thee again.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, with my whole soul I adore Thy impulses of goodness and mercy towards sinners, the effects of which I have most singularly experienced! Thy loving kindness is so desirous of mercy, that it threatens to show no mercy to him who is not merciful. And what mercy can I exercise towards my neighbor? What can be compared to those mercies I have received, and every day receive from Thee? O Heart of Jesus, loving fountain of mercy, teach me to know and worthily imitate Thy mercy. Amen.

Fifteenth Day. The Heart of Jesus at the Hour of Death.

The life of man passes away as a shadow. Time passes by as a swift flowing river, bearing on its bosom, onward to the grave, old and young, rich and poor, without any distinction. Oh, how happy is he who has laid up treasures in heaven, who has gathered for himself a hoard of merit before God. Happy, a thousand times happy, is he who in that dread hour can turn to God with all confidence, and feel God present in his heart. O my sweet Jesus, I will cling to the hope that Thou wilt forget all my past iniquities, and remember only Thy love. O merciful Jesus, who would not hope from Thee a mercy without end? It is true Thou art a God of justice and purity, and Thou seest in me sins beyond compare. But yet can it be that the same God, Who every instant of my life yearns to be near me, Who begs so pleadingly for my heart: can it be that He will condemn me to hell? Oh, no, tender Heart of my Jesus! it will never be so if I am truly sorry. My sweet Jesus will never abandon me, if with a truly repentant heart, I have recourse to Him. Why should I fear death when I look upon my God agonizing in the throes of death? His death was to help me in my dying hour, so that seeing the pain that I have inflicted I might bear mine without complaint. O sweet Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my death. I am willing to suffer all the pains Thou wishest to send me. Let me suffer as much as Thou pleasest, only let me die clasped close to Thy loving Heart.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I adore the admirable impulses which made Thee all Thy life a victim of love, and led Thee to consummate it by a death of perfect love. Grant that, by Thy holy grace, my heart may become a living sacrifice, desiring only to be offered up and to offer up all things for Thy greater glory. Amen.

Sixteenth Day. The Heart of Jesus for all Eternity.

Eternity is Thine, O my God, and Thou givest it to Thy elect, that they may love Thee without any doubt or fear. Life is short: the last hour may toll for me when I least expect it. O thou city of God, when shall I behold thy beauty? Oh, the grace and blessing of dying at peace with Thee, great God; of closing our eyes in a holy death, to open them amid the splendors of eternal joy! Meanwhile Thou givest me a pledge of this bliss in the admirable Sacrament of the Altar. Where can love like Thine be found? Thou givest me Thy body and blood, Thy soul and divinity, as a pledge of eternal happiness. If then, Thou art wholly mine, can I be otherwise than wholly Thine? A thousand thanks to Thee, O my sweet Jesus, Who art so loving to me. Thou didst call me to Thy service, but I have responded weakly. I often disappointed and displeased Thee, yet, O Heart of my God, Thou art all mercy, and Thou wilt not turn away Thy face from Thy poor child, who casts herself down before Thee in contrition and shame. I will clasp Thy feet and remain there until Thou wilt once more say “thou art forgiven: go in peace.” Thou art just, O Lord; nevertheless be moved to pity me. I promise that I will always serve and love Thee, and avoid anything that could in any way separate me from Thee.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I adore Thy death of complete charity that placed Thee in the grave. Let me enter into the wound of Thy Heart, made by the lance, and may I die there for love of Thee. O heart of Mary, Mother of the Heart of Jesus, I have recourse to thee, that thou mayest speak to me in its stead. The Heart of Jesus and thine are but one, and what thou dost for me He will approve.

Seventeenth Day. The Heart of Jesus Sorrowful unto Death.

No one can be a true follower of Thee, O sweet Jesus, who travels by any road save that of Thy cross. For what trouble, what trial or affliction can we meet with, which has not been suffered by Thee? What were the agonies and pains Thy Heart bore for me! I am poor, but am I poorer than Thou, Who hadst not whereon to lay Thy head? I may be reviled and persecuted, but what are my persecutions in comparison to Thine, O my Jesus? Thou wast abandoned in Thy hour of agony even by Thy apostles, and betrayed into the hands of Thy enemies by one whom Thou hadst made Thy friend and companion. Thy whole life, O my Jesus, was one unbroken series of crosses, borne sweetly and patiently through love of me. Take courage, then, my soul, from the example of our dear Lord, and bear with noble strength all the trials and afflictions that may be sent to thee. I will keep my eyes fixed on Thee, cursed and buffeted, insulted and spat upon, scourged and crowned with thorns, a heavy cross laid upon Thy poor, mangled shoulders, and Thy dreadful crucifixion—all for love of me. Surely then, my God, the desire will grow in my heart to be ready and willing to make some return to Thee. Yet without Thy help, dear Jesus, I am utterly helpless to bear the little trials Thou so lovingly dost send me. Thou hast said clearly, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” And again, “Whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.” I understand then, dear Jesus, that if I wish to claim the name of follower of Thee, I must imitate Thee in carrying the cross. I throw myself into Thy loving arms, my sweet Jesus; do with me as Thou choosest, only give me strength and courage to abide with Thee forever.

Prayer.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I adore Thy impulses of charity, which made Thee wish to fill my heart and my soul with Thine, my spirit with Thy spirit, and to feed my body with Thy sacred flesh. I adore Thy divinity, concealed from my sight under the symbols of Thy mystery of love, and I beseech Thee, of Thy mercy, to use my soul, my mind, my heart, and my body as a temple consecrated to Thy honor. O Sacred Heart, I adore Thee as a victim sacrificed by the ascendancy and power of its own pure love. Amen.

Eighteenth Day. O Heart of Jesus, Thou Art All Mine and I Am All Thine.