The Twentieth Day of June

Fourth Thorn of the Heart of Jesus: the Soul Which Communicates Seldom.

To unite Himself to us by communion, such was the principal end which the Heart of Jesus designed when instituting the divine Eucharist. He said: "Take ye and eat. With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer. Come, eat my bread and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you." How do men respond to this appeal? Alas! they feel nothing but coldness and indifference for the God of the Eucharist. Strange delusion, they fly from the embrace of their tender Father, they desert the holy table, and thereby excommunicate themselves.

It is true that faithful adorers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus still remain, devoted friends who, like Veronica, endeavor to wipe His adorable face, and who receive Him frequently in holy communion. But, how small the number when compared to the multitude of impious, indifferent and ungrateful Christians whose places ever remain vacant at the Eucharistic banquet. In what a sad state are these poor souls who, for so many years, have not received their God, nor quenched their thirst at the chalice of salvation? Alas! they are dying of hunger and thirst. Who does not eat has not life. "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you" (John vi. 54). Oh! how this neglect, this indifference, this spiritual death must wound the tender Heart of Jesus; what an additional thorn for that loving Heart. Listen how He complains by the mouth of His prophet: "I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me" (Isaias. i. 2).

Christians, will you not be moved by the lamentations of the Heart of your Master? Take pity on Him, and whilst the crowd keeps away from His tabernacle, come and pray and weep at His feet. Let the sad example of those who abandon Him cause you to redouble your zeal, your devotion and love. Approach the Eucharistic banquet as often as possible, and ask yourself if you have not frequently missed holy communion through your own fault? Yes, love Jesus for those who love Him not; visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament for those who come not near Him; and, especially, open your heart to Him for those who will not open theirs. In return may those beautiful words, which He addressed to blessed Margaret Alacoque, be addressed also to you: "My daughter, I am coming into the heart which I have given thee, so that, by thy ardent love, thou mayest make reparation to me for the injuries I have received from lukewarm and cowardly hearts, who abandon and dishonor me in the most holy Sacrament."

EXAMPLE.

We read in the lives of the saints that St. Alexis, who was born of noble and wealthy parents, renounced, at an early age, all the goods of this world, and left his paternal home to embrace the voluntary poverty of Jesus Christ. He had been rich he became a beggar. At the expiration of a few years, he returned and knocked at the door of his father’s house, asking for alms and shelter. His relatives did not recognise him, want and privations having so changed his appearance that they took him for a stranger, and allowed him to take up his abode under the staircase of the castle, giving orders to a servant to take him daily a piece of bread and a glass of water Many years passed by; Alexis saw his parents leave and enter the castle without knowing him, although he himself remembered them well. One day he fell seriously ill and sent to ask to see his mother. Just before breathing his last, he addressed her in these words: "Mother, I am Alexis, I am your child." When the poor mother recognised her son in the inanimate body of the beggar, who, for thirty years had lived under the staircase of her palace she threw herself on his neck, and, embracing him, exclaimed, weeping: "O, my child, my dear child, I recognise you, but too late!"

How many sinners, after death, at the sight of Jesus, whom they have disowned, will cry out, in like manner: "O my Savior! O God of the Eucharist! I recognise Thee too late; I have passed thirty, forty years of my life close to Thy tabernacle, almost under the same roof with Thee, and I have not known Thee, and I have refused to receive Thee." What will Jesus answer? And I also, I know you not. Depart from me" (Matt. xxv. 12-41). To deprive oneself of our Lord in this world, and to be deprived of Him for all eternity, O God how terrible a misfortune!

PRAYER.

O Jesus! it is with a heart overwhelmed with grief that I ask Thy pardon a thousand and a thousand times, for the indifference of all those who refuse to receive Thee. From henceforth I will communicate frequently, in order to console and make amends to Thee for the neglect of others. Grant that I may always approach Thy holy table with a heart free from sin, and adorned with virtue. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Make a visit to Jesus in the Tabernacle in reparation for all those who ignore Him and leave Him alone where he remains a prisoner of love.

The Nineteenth Day of June

The Third Thorn of the Heart of Jesus: the Sacrilegious Soul.

Consider, Christians, that, though all the sacraments emanate from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the one in which His great love for us shines forth the most conspicuously is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, so deservedly called the Sacrament of love. Nevertheless, how does it come to pass that it is the mystery in which Jesus is the most outraged by those whom He has loved to excess? A painful experience proves that sacrileges become more and more frequent in these days, when charity has grown cold, and piety is feeble and more rare. This new passion, as it may be truly called, of our Savior, though more secret and less known, is more cruel to His divine Heart than that which He suffered at Jerusalem and on Calvary. Jesus! what crime can equal that of crucifying Thee afresh and profaning Thy adorable body, by uniting Thy spotless Heart to a heart full of corruption, to tread under foot Thy precious blood, and to renew the treachery of Judas and the plots of the Jews. O what contempt of God, and what a triumph of hell! Angels of the tabernacle, witnesses of these abominations, veil your faces with your wings, and weep bitterly. Christians, represent to yourselves, with horror, the fatal moment when the Eucharistic God enters into a sinful soul, which is like a sepulchre full of corruption. What must be the humiliation, and how sharp a thorn for the Heart of our Jesus! It would seem as though the scene of the night on which He was scourged, and the day when He was be trayed by the infamous Judas, is there renewed, and it lasts so long as the sacred species remain in the breast of the perfidious and sacrilegious traitor. O God! what will be the punishment reserved for so terrible an outrage?

Faithful souls, souls devoted to the Sacred Heart, omit nothing which can make amends to this adorable Heart, for the insults and injuries to which He has willingly exposed Himself, in order to be able to give Himself to you in the most holy Eucharist. Endeavor to repair these insults by multiplying your visits to the Blessed Sacrament; pray, weep, expiate the crimes of these guilty souls; but, above all, testify your love, for the wounds of love are healed by love alone. Hasten to make a fervent communion in the spirit of reparation, and, to supply for your insufficiency, offer the dispositions of Mary when she received the Sacred Host from the hands of St. John. Oh! may you, by the earnestness of your prayers, the ardor of your love, the purity of your heart, and the abundance of your tears, console the Heart of Jesus, for so many sacrileges and profanations. May the sweet Savior be able to reverse in your regard the words of Scripture, and say: "I looked for one that would comfort me, and I have found one." May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Holy Eucharist, be everywhere loved and adored!

EXAMPLE.

A poor man asked an alms of St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola. The prelate, observing that one of the beggar’s hands was withered, asked him the cause. "I am the son of a widow," he answered, in an agitated voice; "from my childhood I was disobedient to my kind mother, and, as I advanced in years, I ran through all her fortune. One day, when she refused to give me the last bit of money that was left her, urged by a diabolical frenzy, I struck her with this hand, which is now withered, and she fell dead. This dreadful crime took place on the night before Maundy Thursday, when I was preparing to receive my Easter Communion. Having hidden the bleeding corpse of my poor mother, I had the audacity to approach the holy table; but, truly dreadful miracle! no sooner had I received the Sacred Host than my hand stiffened, and, with the most terrible pains, became withered. My cries attracted the astonished gaze of the whole congregation, and, overwhelmed with confusion and shame, I fled, to escape being seen by those I knew. From that fatal day, I wander about here and there, bearing with me this withered hand, as the just punishment of my frightful sacrilege. Willingly would I bear this temporal punishment, if I had not to expect the still more fearful pains of hell." Touched by this recital, St. Paulinus said to him; "There is in the Heart of Jesus, whom you have so grievously offended, enough compassion and mercy to pardon you. Do penance, confess your sins with deep repentance, and then make a fervent communion in reparation for your sacrilegious one." A ray of hope illuminated the countenance of the poor sinner, and he followed the advice of the holy bishop; hardly had he received the body of the Lord with all the ardor and devotion of which he was capable, than warmth and life returned to his withered hand: he was cured. O ineffable goodness of Jesus! who pardons every crime on true repentance, and changes a traitor into a friend of His divine Heart.

PRAYER.

O Jesus! I would rather die a thousand times than ever approach Thy sacred table unworthily. Before seating myself at the banquet of angels, I will prove and purify myself from all stains; then, Lord, Thou wilt descend into my soul, reign over it with joy, and find there Thy delights. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Receive Communion in reparation for sins committed against the Most Blessed Sacrament at least once a month, preferably on a weekday.

The Eighteenth Day of June

The Second Thorn of the Heart of Jesus: the Tepid Soul.

To be neither hot nor cold towards the Heart of Jesus which merits so much love and has manifested Itself to the world to arouse tepid souls, to drag oneself listlessly along in the service of so good a Master, fearing little to offend Him, desiring little to please Him, to be without gratitude for His favors, without care for His glory, without zeal for what concerns Him, these are the characteristics of tepidity. What disorder is this guilty apathy in a soul which professes to honor the Sacred Heart; and what does Jesus say to such a soul? "Because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will banish thee from my Heart, and I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." Unfortunate soul, do you hear this dreadful threat? does it not give you a terrible idea of the disgust with which you inspire Jesus, and the difficulty of your return to the adorable Heart whose indignation you have provoked? Yes, He who hastens to meet the greatest sinners, and who receives the prodigal child with tenderness, even He can no longer bear with you, but will vomit you out of His mouth. O Jesus! what, then, has this poor soul done to excite to such a degree Thine anger? Has it been guilty of the sin of scandal or sacrilege? "No, but it is with out zeal for my service, without a generous love for my Heart which has loved it so much; it is lukewarm. Oh! I would prefer a great sinner, capable of generous resolutions, to this soul steeped in the languor of tepidity: I would thou wert cold. I can no longer bear with it; it excites the indignation of my Heart; it disgusts It; I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. Oh! is not this the greatest misfortune; is not this a more sad fate, in one sense, than that of the sinner?

Christians, if, unhappily, you are infected with this disease which so often proves fatal and which is yet so common, remember that there exists two remedies which are infallible. The first is prayer to the Heart of Jesus; He has promised that He will cure and save all those who invoke with confidence His Sacred Heart, yes, even lukewarm souls; He will cast down upon you a spark of love, and you will be restored to fervor and life. Say often to your merciful Savior: O Jesus! he whom Thou lovest is sick, come and heal him, and He will give back to you the strength and fervor of your early years; take courage, then, and throw yourself into this divine Heart. The second remedy is to let no day pass of this beautiful month, without offering to Jesus some small sacrifice, some little effort to overcome your inclinations. He will at once reward you by the peace and joy of His love. Yes, do this and you may rest assured that not only will you be cured, but that you will no longer be in danger of the spiritual death, which is the infallible consequence of tepidity.

EXAMPLE.

It was not in vain that our Lord revealed the devotion of His Sacred Heart as the great remedy for the dreadful evil of lukewarmness. Each day a happy experience confirms the truth of the divine promises made by our Lord to His servant, Margaret Alacoque. The following incident took place in a town in the north of France.

A priest, zealously devoted to the Sacred Heart, came there on a visit for a few weeks. One day a woman, somewhat advanced in years, accosted him and begged him to hear her confession. "I am unable to do so," he replied, "for I have not the necessary faculties to hear confessions in this diocese; besides you have plenty of confessors in the town." The woman answered: "I will try to obtain for you the necessary faculties; the salvation of my soul is at stake." These words made a deep impression on the mind of the worthy priest, who agreed to meet her in the course of a few days. In the meantime he made inquiries concerning the woman, and learned that she had for years been very fervent and occupied in many good works, but little by little she had become disgusted with her way of life, had given up her pious practices, and, without as yet committing serious faults, she was adding infidelity to infidelity: she was lukewarm. On the day appointed she came to the priest, and revealed the dangerous state of her conscience, without manifesting any determination to amend her self. The confessor, seeing in how great peril her soul was, earnestly exhorted her to pray, and spoke of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At these words the woman replied sharply that she did not like novelties, nor superstitious practices, which were only suitable for enthusiastic imaginations. The minister of God ordered her to be silent, and made her promise that for eight days she would reflect for five minutes on these two questions: "What has the Heart of Jesus done for me? and what have I done for It?" After much opposition she made the promise and kept it. No more was needed: in a week’s time the Heart of Jesus had transformed this languid and lukewarm soul into one full of energy and burning with zeal, and she became the apostle of this devotion in that part of the country. After some years she died, leaving behind her a wonderful reputation for charity and devotedness to the Sacred Heart.

PRAYER.

Divine Heart of Jesus, I wish to love and serve Thee fervently and generously, but, alas! my fervour and piety quickly die away, and I remain without love or zeal. Oh! how many of my days have been spent in lukewarmness and tepidity! Generous Heart of Jesus, be my strength and support, and grant that in future I may always labor for my salvation with energy, courage and perseverance. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Spend some time reflection on what Jesus has done for you and then on what you have done for Him.

The Seventeenth Day of June

The First Thorn of the Heart of Jesus: a Soul in Mortal Sin.

Consider that an innocent soul is the dwelling-place of God, and that in Comunion it becomes in a particular manner the abode of Jesus Christ. In the words of St. Paul it can exclaim: "I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. ii. 20). Yes, Jesus is at home in an innocent soul, there He finds His delight and there He desires to remain for ever. To commit a sin, a mortal sin, and voluntarily to continue in this dreadful state is to admit the devil into our soul, it is to make him our master in the place of Jesus, who at once departs, driven out ignominiously and complaining in the words of Isaias: "To whom have you likened me and made me equal, and compared me?" And whilst Satan chains down this poor soul and makes it his slave, Jesus stands at the door, lovingly knocks, and breathes forth these touching reproaches: "What more could I do for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee a most beautiful vine; and thou hast proved exceeding bitter to me." "I shed for thee my blood even to the last drop, and what has it profited thee? I nourished thee with my own flesh, and thou hast despised, persecuted, and betrayed me. O all you that pass by the way of life, attend and see, if there be any sorrow like to the sorrow that my Heart feels at such base ingratitude. Guilty soul, if thou didst know the gift of God, if thou didst know who I am, and what I give to those who open their hearts to me." "No;" answers the sinful soul, "no, I will not have Thee to reign over me." Oh! what a cause of anguish for the tender Heart of Jesus! How this cruel thorn must make His divine Heart to bleed. "Is there no one," does He exclaim, "who will take pity on me, and will compassionate my grief, in the miserable state to which sinners have reduced me, above all in these present times?"

To this cry of distress, Christians, let us answer with words of love and reparation. Let us hasten to our Savior’s aid, let us by our prayers, our alms, and our communions, convert sinners. St. Teresa never ceased to pray for them; she continually asked Jesus Christ for souls; and we read in her life that one day when she was praying with greater fervor, she uttered so powerful a cry, so vehement a prayer from the depths of her heart, that the heavenly Spouse was touched, and revealed to her that by her petition she had just saved six thousand souls, who owed to her their salvation and whom she would one day see in heaven. Let us also ask the Heart of Jesus for souls: Give me souls. If we could but save one, only one, ours also would be saved, we should give joy to the angels, we should console the Heart of Jesus. What a happiness and what a reward! Souls, my God! give me souls, and keep all things else. Eternal Father, look on the face of Jesus, and transform all poor sinners into saints!

EXAMPLE.

During the siege of Metz in 1870, a brave captain of artillery was carried wounded to the ambulance. "Surgeon," he said, "do with me what you will, but save my life. I have a wife and children, I cannot, I will not die!" Alas! all was of no use, and it was necessary to prepare for that last great journey; but the poor man was obdurate and would not put his conscience in order. Who was there to have pity on this soul and save it from the eternal abyss? Another captain of artillery, a fervent Christian, determined to render him this important service. He put on his uniform as if to pay him a visit, and approaching the bed of the dying man, said to him with tears in his eyes: "Come, my dear fellow, a soldier ought to know how to die; give your poor wife and children the only comfort which is left to them, namely, that of knowing you died as a good Christian." He then insisted that the dying man should no longer put off his religious duties, and remained with him until the priest arrived to hear his confession. Reconciled to God, and fortified with the sacraments of the Church, the dying man exclaimed in the fulness of his joy: "I am happy, I am ready for the great review. I shall go up there unburdened and decorated; all is in order." He then kissed with a lively faith a medal of the Sacred Heart, which he had received at Rome from the hands of the sovereign Pontiff, saying: "I have never left off wearing this medal, Father; when I am dead, be so good as to send it to my wife, it will be my last remembrance, my last fare well." Thus was a sinner saved by a pious friend having pity on him, and bringing him back to the fold of Christ. Oh! if we did but know the value of souls, if we did but know the desires of the Heart of Jesus!

PRAYER.

Lord Jesus, pardon the numberless Christians who disown Thy love, refuse to serve Thee, and despise Thy commandments and those of Thy Church. Pardon the unhappy sinners who voluntarily remain in this wretched state, forget their ingratitude and hard-heartedness open Thy adorable Heart, so that copious streams of grace, mercy, and pardon may flow from It. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Make a diligent examination of conscience and confess your sins as soon as possible.

The Sixteenth Day of June

Fifth Desire of the Heart of Jesus: the Propagation of the Devotion to His Sacred Heart.

"Our Lord," said St. Margaret Mary, "manifested to me the treasures of grace and love, which He would bestow on those who would consecrate and sacrifice themselves, in order to procure for His Sacred Heart all the love and glory which was in their power; treasures so vast that it is impossible for me to describe them. Our Savior also showed me the names of a great number of persons written in His divine Heart, on account of their zeal in causing It to be loved and honored, and that for this reason their names would never be effaced." The longing desires and magnificent promises of the Heart of Jesus, excited to the greatest degree the zeal of the saintly religious of Paray-le-Monial. It is not in our power to relate all the efforts, the holy inventions, the generous persistence of her ardor in propagating the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She even made a vow never to refuse any labor or suffering, however painful, that could spread this devotion. In writing to one of her superiors she thus expresses her self: "What joy is it to me that the Sacred Heart of my divine Master is known, loved, and glorified. I live only for this end, and there is nothing that I would not endure in order to make Jesus Christ reign in all hearts; even the pains of hell itself without the sin, of which they are the punishment, would be sweet to me. O God! it is more pleasing to me, and I would rather suffer in order to make Thee known and loved, than be one of the number of the seraphic choir!" What can equal the zeal and heroic devotedness of this holy soul!

Christians, let us also labor, as far as we are able, to extend devotion to the Heart of Jesus. There are two means of propagating it which are within the reach of all: the first is prayer; let us frequently ask of God the Father to make the Heart of His beloved Son known and honored throughout the whole world; this Heart which has procured for Him more glory than all the saints and angels together. Let us often repeat the ejaculatory prayer: "May the Sacred Heart of Jesus le everywhere loved!"

The second is to indnce those with whom we are acquainted to practise this devotion, by making known to them its objects and advantages. A word spoken with prudence and conviction, a remark uttered in and inspired by charity, will often suffice to gain hearts for the Heart of Jesus. Oh! if the fire of divine love but animated our souls, how easily should we be able to communicate to others the ardor which we ourselves experience. St. Augustine says: "If we have no zeal, the reason is that we have no love."

Yes, Lord, I will be Thy faithful apostle and I will place my glory in procuring Thine.

EXAMPLE.

Providence has reserved for this century which is one of material things and earthly interests, the example of a saint whose only thought was for heaven, and who loved but the Heart of Jesus. To give an idea of the love of God with which Monsieur Vianney, the Cure of Ars, was animated, says his historian, it would be necessary to describe all the zeal, energy, gentleness, and generosity of which a human soul, aided by grace, is capable. He thought and spoke unceasingly of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and his words seemed flames of love. He continually preached on the devotion, recommended it to all those whom he directed, to the sick, to the afflicted, and to poor sinners. One day, it was the morning of the beautiful feast of the Sacred Heart, he said with tears in his eyes: "Let us all go to the Heart of Jesus, to the throne of divine goodness; there flows from It love and mercy sufficient to wash away all the sins of the world. Oh! if we knew how much this divine Heart loves us, we should die of joy. The only happiness on earth is to love It, and to know that It loves us."

After the example of this holy priest, of this indefatigable apostle, let us recommend and propagate the devotion to the Sacred Heart. "Let us diffuse in the world the sweet odor of the Heart of Jesus Christ," said the blessed Margaret Mary, "and we shall be Its joy and crown."

PRAYER.

O Heart of Jesus! Heart infinitely amiable, and infinitely holy! to what else shall we devote our lives, if not to making Thee known? To love Thee, Lord, is not enough for us; we wish to make others love Thee. We would fain possess all hearts, so that we might place them in Thine. Give us the zeal of apostles, that proclaiming Thy mercies, we may save souls redeemed at the price of Thy blood. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Spread devotion to the Sacred Heart by sharing your devotion with others either directly in conversation or by giving someone literature to read.

The Fifteenth Day of June

Fourth Desire of the Heart of Jesus: the Relief of the Souls in Purgatory.

The Heart of Jesus cannot be indifferent to the sufferings of these poor souls; they are His elect, His favored children, the heirs of His glory, called to bless Him eternally in heaven, His spouses whom He tenderly loves. If He could suffer, He would again offer His life to pay their debts and open heaven for them. To restrain the force of His love, it needs all the wisdom and all the merciful justice of a God who has a horror of the least stain. He can no longer suffer, He can not die again; but from the Tabernacle, where love keeps Him a prisoner, He urges all the faithful on earth to think of the souls in Purgatory, and by their prayers and sacrifices to obtain refreshment and peace for all who are in that abode of expiation. One day He said to St. Gertrude: "Each time that you deliver a soul by the offering of the Holy Sacrifice, it is as pleasing to me as though you redeemed me from captivity, and I shall know how to reward you." On the altar, where He immolates Himself, Jesus prays for them. He wills that each time this sacrifice is offered, His suffering Church should, in the Memento for the Dead, experience its effects. Further, still, and oh! how admirable are the holy inventions of the Heart of Jesus; He unites in one vast treasury all His merits, all those of His holy Mother, and the saints; and He desires that the faithful should draw liberally from this source, so as to pay the debts of these captive souls. As soon as they are freed, He Himself comes to seek them, conducts them into the heavenly Jerusalem, and inundates them with a torrent of delights. Then, clothed with the nuptial garment, they can follow the Lamb and unite with the choir of the elect in saying: "To Him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb, benediction and honor and glory and power for ever and ever" (Apoc. v. 13).

Can, then, our hearts remain indifferent to the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory? Can we close them to the supplications of these prisoners who implore their liberty, these poor exiles who demand their country? From the depths of that burning abyss, they cry out to us: "Have pity on us, at least you our friends" (Job. xix. 21). Let us not forget that it is a father or mother who is, perhaps, suffering for having loved us too much. It is a brother, it is a sister, whom we have sworn never to forget. It is a friend who has loved us much, and whose only hope is in us. Let us hasten to satisfy divine justice for them by our prayers, by our good works, by the offering of the Holy Sacrifice, by our communions, and by gaining indulgences. When, through our suffrages, they are admitted into heaven, they will become our most powerful intercessors. "It is, therefore, a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mach. xii. 46). Heart of Jesus give them eternal rest!

EXAMPLE.

Father Lacordaire, in a letter addressed to a lady of the world, relates that a Polish peasant was, at his death, condemned by the justice of God to the expiatory flames of Purgatory. His devoted wife ceased not to pray for the repose of his soul; but thinking that her prayers were not sufficiently powerful, she wished to have recourse to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and have Mass celebrated for the deliverance of him whom she mourned. Being poor, and not having wherewith to make the offering, which is customary, towards the support of the priest who says the Mass, she went to a rich person, who was not only a philosopher, but an unbeliever, and humbly asked him to help her; the gentleman felt compassion for her and gave her some money. The widow lost no time in having Mass offered for the soul of her husband in the chapel of the Sacred Heart, and with great fervor received Communion for the same intention. A few days after, God permitted that the deceased peasant should appear to the rich man and say: "I thank you for the alms you gave towards the offering of the Holy Sacrifice; this Mass has delivered my soul from Purgatory, where it was detained, and now, in gratitude for your charity, I am sent by our Lord to tell you that your death is near, and that you should be reconciled to God." The rich man profited by the warning, was converted and died shortly after, in the most edifying dispositions. Let us often recall those words of Scripture: "It is a good and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins."

PRAYER.

O Lord Jesus! these poor souls belong to Thee; they loved Thee on earth, they still love Thee amidst the flames of Purgatory; by the merits of Thy cross and Thy divine Heart, deliver them from that abode of expiation. Above all, deliver the souls of my relations my friends and benefactors, so that, united to the choirs of angels, they may praise and bless Thee through all eternity, Amen.

PRACTICE.

Regularly have Masses offered for those who have died, especially family members and those who have no one to pray for them. Do not succumb to the false and ungrateful idea that the dead are not in need of our prayers. If by chance the souls of those for whom we have Masses offered have gone to heaven, the Masses will be applied to those who need them most.

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.