The Fourteenth Day of June

Third Desire of the Heart Of Jesus: the Salvation of Souls.

Consider that the Heart of Jesus burns with an immense desire to save our souls, and to make them eternally happy. Yes, to save our souls, this is the object of His divine mission, the end of the Incarnation; it is for this that He descended from heaven, took the form of a servant and the name of Savior. St. John says: "God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by Him" (John iii. 17) and "through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, both as to the things on earth and the things that are in heaven" (Col. i. 20). "Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 12). To save our souls, such was His office, His great work for three-and-thirty years. His examples, lessons, miracles, sacraments, sufferings, His life and death, all were directed to our salvation. To save our souls was the object of His sacrifice: "Christ hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness." He ended His life in the midst of the most terrible torments, exclaiming that He thirsted for the salvation of men "Sitio!" "I thirst." Finally, it is for our salvation that Jesus gives us His eucharistic body, the pledge of eternal life, and His divine Heart; the sacred ark where we may all enter, and find protection and salvation. He says: "My Heart desires to manifest Itself to men, so that they may enrich themselves with this precious treasure which I disclose to them, and which contains sanctifying graces capable of rescuing them from perdition, and of saving them all." Oh! how many mysteries are there not in the burning love of Jesus for our souls, what an immense desire to save us all: can we ever sufficiently thank Him for such love?

Christians, help the Heart of Jesus to quench the burning thirst which consumes It. Alas! thousands of souls are lost, whilst you are enriched with all sorts of spiritual favors; endeavor to bring them back to God by your prayers, your good works, and example. This was what the saints did with such admirable zeal, and it was revealed to St. Teresa, that her prayers had converted to God many thousands of Indians. Church history relates that a single slave in the fourth century converted the whole of the Iberian nation. An easy way of contributing to the salvation of souls, is to join the admirable association of the Propagation of the Faith, which snatches so many victims from the devil and hell, and opens to them the gates of heaven. Let us love this beautiful work and spread it around us, and we shall save many souls.

O Jesus! give me the heart of an apostle, enkindle in me the fire which consumes Thine own.

EXAMPLE.

In the year 1821, a pious young woman in the city of Lyons, was moved with compassion on hearing of the sufferings and destitution of the French missionaries in heathen lands. One evening, while her companions were playing at cards, she was musing on the object she had at heart, and she asked for the money won at the game to help the missionaries. Seated quietly by the fire, she wrote down in pencil on a card, the simple and fruitful plan of the propagation of the Faith, and little by little, she induced the needlewomen and servants of the town to join in her work. The first year she collected fifteen hundred francs; these details were given by the foundress herself. At the present time the subscriptions amount to five million francs, three millions of which are collected in France. Brought in by so many hands, the weekly penny became like the grain of mustard seed, it grew and multiplied each day. On every side, men and women, rich and poor, great and small, joined the association. If God had said fifty years ago to that young girl, as He did to Abraham, "Look at the heavens and count the stars if thou canst; the souls that will be saved by thy work will exceed them in number," would not her faith have been put to a severe test? Yet today, if still alive, she would not be able to count the millions of souls saved by the work that God inspired her to commence. Oh! how the Heart of Jesus must rejoice at this abundant harvest; how rich a reward must He not reserve to the foundress and associates of this fruitful organization! Let us then love and spread this devotional and Catholic work, and we shall save those souls for whom Jesus has shed His blood.

PRAYER.

O Jesus! I also thirst for the salvation of my brethren. Would that it were in my power to include them all in the embraces of Thy love. Supply my deficiency, O divine Heart. Make Thyself known and loved by all the souls for whom Thou hast shed Thy blood and sacrificed Thy life. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Work for the salvation of souls according to your ability. Donate to the missions, teach religious education classes, pray for the conversion of fallen away or non-Catholic or some like act.