06/01/2026
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐
by Rev. Irenaeus Schoenherr, O.F.M.
God has always dealt with men in a way consonant with their nature--by drawing them to His Holy Will by promises of reward.
It was so with His dealings with the chosen people under the Old Dispensation. It was the way of Christ in the New, promising even a hundredfold return for compliance with His desires.
And so it is in the history of the revelation and propagation of the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
"That men might more readily respond to that wonderful and overflowing desire of love," wrote Leo XIII in his Encyclical Annum Sacrum (1899) on the devotion, "Jesus, by the promise of rich rewards, called and drew all men to Him."
St. Margaret Mary in her writings insists again and again on the ardent desire of Christ to pour out blessings with a royal generosity on those who would honor His Divine Heart and return Him love for love.
These Promises of the Sacred Heart, in the form in which they are now popularly known and approved by the Church, far surpass in variety, universality and importance those attached to any other exercises of devotion in the Church.
They are addressed to all sorts of persons: to the fervent, the tepid, and the sinful.
They embrace every condition of life: priests, religious, and seculars.
They promise relief to the afflicted, strength to the tempted, consolation to the sorrowful, peace to the family, blessings in the home, success in our enterprises, mercy to the sinner, high sanctity to fervent souls, courage to the cold of heart.
They promise power to the priest to soften the hardest hearts.
They promise strength and courage on our death-bed, and tell us of the priceless gift of final perseverance and of a refuge in the Heart of Christ at the last moment.
What greater or more valuable favors than these could even the omnipotent and boundless love and goodness of the Sacred Heart bestow on us?
These Promises help us to an understanding of the truth of St. Margaret Mary's glowing words: "Jesus showed me how this devotion is, as it were, the final effort of His love, the last invention of His boundless Charity."
..
๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ-- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ."
The duties of our daily life are numerous and often difficult.
God grants us in response to prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments all the necessary graces for our state of life.
There are also extraordinary graces which lie outside the usual action of God's Providence, graces that He gives to His special friends.
These are more efficacious graces, more plentifully given to the clients of the Sacred Heart.
๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐."
"'Peace is the tranquillity of order, the serenity of mind, simplicity of heart, the bond of charity." (St. Augustine)
It was the first thing the Angels wished to men at the birth of Jesus.
Our Lord Himself bade His disciples to invoke it: "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' " (Luke 10, 5)
In the Heart of Jesus will be found the true peace, that makes the home the reflex and anticipation of our heavenly Home.
๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐."
The desire to comfort the sorrowful is the mark of a noble and kind heart. The Sacred Heart is the most noble and generous of hearts, both human and divine.
How does He console us?
Not necessarily by freeing us from sorrow and affliction. He knows the priceless value of the cross--that we have sins to expiate.
By His grace, He makes what is painful tolerable. "I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our troubles." (2 Cor. 7, 4)
๐ฐ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต."
"One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water." (John 19, 34)
Christ's side was opened to show that Divine Providence wished all men to find in His Divine Heart an assured refuge against the enemies of our salvation.
In His Heart we can find protection, strength in our frailty, perseverance in our inconstancy, assured refuge in the dangers and toils of life, and at the hour of death.
๐ฑ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐."
"God is love." He is ready to give His children abundant temporal blessings as long as they do not imperil our eternal interests.
His "special" Providence protects and watches over those devoted to the Sacred Heart with peculiar love and tenderness.
However, we should not be discouraged if our prayers for temporal favors are not always answered, for God always puts our eternal good before our temporal good.
๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ--"๐ฆ๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐."
The Redemption is the immortal drama of God's mercy; and our Divine Redeemer is, as it were, God's Mercy Incarnate. "With the Lord is kindness and with Him plenteous Redemption." (Ps. 129, 7)
On earth the Heart of Christ was full of mercy toward all.
Now in His glorified humanity in heaven Jesus continues to show forth His boundless mercy, "always living to make intercession for us." (Heb. 7,25)
๐ณ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ง๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐."
Lukewarmness is a languid dying state of the soul that has lost its interest in religion. The Holy Spirit expresses deep disgust for such a soul: "You are neither cold nor hot ... I am about to vomit you out of My mouth." (Apoc. 3, 15)
The only remedy for it is devotion to the Sacred Heart, Who came "to cast fire on earth," i.e., to inspire the cold and tepid heart with new fear and love of God.
๐ด๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป."
High perfection is the reward that Christ bestows on the fervent clients of His Divine Heart; for this devotion has, as its special fruit, to transform us into a close resemblance to our Blessed Lord.
This is done by kindling in our hearts the fire of divine love, which, as St. Paul says, "is the bond of perfection." (Col. 3, 14)
Through devotion to the Sacred Heart self-love will give way to an ardent zeal for His interests.
๐ต๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ."
Religious pictures are a powerful appeal and inspiration.
The Sacred Heart is an open book wherein we may read the infinite love of Jesus for us in His Passion and Death.
He shows us His Heart, cut open by the lance, all aglow like a fiery furnace of love, whose flames appear bursting forth from the top.
It is encircled with thorns, the anguishing smarts of unheeded love. May it ever impel us to acts of love and generosity.
๐ญ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐."
The conversion of a sinner calls sometimes for extraordinary graces. God never forces the free will of a human being.
But He can give actual graces with which He forsees the sinner will overcome the resisting attitude of the most obstinate sinful soul.
This, then, is what occurs in the case of priests who are animated with great devotion to the Sacred Heart.
๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ."
This Promise holds out to promoters of devotion to the Sacred Heart a wonderful reward--they "shall have their names written in My Heart."
These words imply a strong and faithful friendship of Christ Himself, and present to us "the Book of Life" of St. John: "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." (Apoc. 3, 5)
๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ -- "๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐, ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ."
This Promise contains a great reward, which is nothing less than heaven.
"Final perseverance is a gratuitous gift of God's goodness, and cannot be merited as an acquired right by any individual act of ours." (Council of Trent)
It is given as the reward for a series of acts continued to the end: "He who has persevered to the end will be saved." (Matt. 10, 22)
..
๐๐ป ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ'๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐
O Jesus, most worthy of love! I gratefully offer Thee my heart in compensation for my great unfaithfulness, and consecrate myself wholy and forever to Thy service, purposing with Thy grace no more to offend Thee. Amen
(Indulgence of 100 Days)
๐๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect our families.
๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 300 ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐โ ๐ก๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ. (๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ 236)
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your kingdom come.
๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 300 ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐โ ๐ก๐๐๐. (๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ 228)
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
๐ด๐, ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 500 ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐โ ๐ก๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ . (๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ 242)
Sacred Heart of Jesus, may You be known, loved, and imitated.
๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 300 ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ. (๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ 235)