The Twenty-Seventh Day of June

Devotion to the Agonizing Heart of Jesus.

This devotion has for its object, first, to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus undergoing the greatest interior sufferings for the salvation of souls during His life, and, above all, during His Passion; secondly, to obtain, by the merits of this long agony, a happy death for the thousands of persons who each day die throughout the world. Nothing can be more simple and admirable than the history of this touching devotion. About twenty years ago, a saintly religious was inspired with the desire to make it known to the faithful, and for this end he composed a little prayer for those who each day are in their agony. Approved and enriched with many indulgences by his Holiness Pius IX, this prayer was distributed everywhere, and, being translated into several languages, it became known in most Catholic countries, and has given rise to the pious associations established in many towns, the object of which is to implore of God the salvation of the dying.

It is easy to understand how pleasing this devotion must be to the Heart of God, who, leaving the glory of heaven, descended on earth to save mankind from hell; it is the means of drawing down graces of conversion on a multitude of Christians, who, in this age of indifference and impiety, do not prepare for death, think not of eternity, and find themselves in the presence of the Sovereign Judge without having once reflected on their danger. It is also a means of cautioning souls against the infernal doctrines of freethinkers, who endeavor to banish the priest from the cradle of the new-born babe, from the nuptial contract, and from the bedside of the dying. Oh! what graces of salvation has not this devotion drawn down from heaven! What comfort has it not procured for the agonizing! How many expiring sinners has it not snatched from the abyss of hell, and how many souls has it not saved from eternal fire! Blessed be the agonizing Heart of Jesus for having inspired such a fruitful, opportune and providential devotion!

Christians, pray for all who are in their agony, recommend them often to the merciful Heart of Jesus, and remember that each day many thousands of persons fall under the sword of death, appear before the dread tribunal of God and begin an eternity of joy or woe. Alas! of this number how many thousands are in a state of mortal sin! Pray for the dying; they are your brethen in Jesus Christ; perhaps relations, friends, and benefactors, for whom you should obtain a happy death. Pray for the agonizing; one day you, too, will stand in need of prayers when you are in your agony, and you will rise victorious from your last struggle to enjoy eternal happiness. Lastly, make known this devotion to the agonizing Heart of Jesus to those who are in ignorance of it: speak of it in your families and amongst your friends, and this Sacred Heart will bless you. If, by the union and fervor of our prayers we could each day save a soul, what a rich harvest we should have stored up at the end of the year! What a pledge of our own salvation, and what a crown for all eternity!

EXAMPLE.

At the recommendation of a Protestant family, living in the town of Liege in Belgium, a young lady who had been long ill was received into the hospital. She was an excellent musician, had lived entirely amongst heretics, and although nominally a Catholic, had no idea of religion and scarcely believed in the existence of God, giving herself up to all the pleasures of the world. When anyone spoke to her of religion, she became irritable and declared that such conversations fatigued her. The nursing sisters who were in charge of the hospital, despairing of her conversion, made a novena for her to the agonizing Heart of Jesus. On the last day of the novena, the poor sinner asked one of the sisters for a prayer book and after reading a page, exclaimed: "I will go to confession and communion." She made her confession and communion, and from that day she said to all who came to see her: "Oh! how truly happy I am." On the near approach of death, she expressed her desire to communicate again, and during her agony she repeated with fervor the words: "My Savior, my Savior, forgive me all my sins!" peacefully expiring with the holy Name still on her lips. Thus was this poor soul saved by being recommended to the agonizing Heart of Jesus. Glory and love to this divine Heart!

PRAYER.

O most merciful Jesus! full of love for souls, I implore Thee by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, to purify in Thy blood the sinners of the whole world, who are now in their agony, and this day to die. Amen.
Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have pity on the dying.

PRACTICE.

Do not fail to pray for the dying every day, especially in your night prayers. The vast majority of those who die at night do so unprepared and without the sacraments of the Church.

The Twenty-Sixth Day of June

The Last Testament of the Heart of Jesus.

It would seem that, after giving us Himself in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus had exhausted the treasures of His charity; nevertheless, at the point of death, His Heart kept for us one last proof of love, and from the cross He wished to leave us a pledge of His immense and unceasing tenderness. Ah! yes, the love of our good Jesus is, indeed, unceasing and inexhaustible. He knows not how to say, "It is enough." Yet He had already given us His words to instruct us, His sacraments to purify and strengthen us, His Heart to love us, His body and blood to nourish and quench the thirst of our souls. He was going to give us His last breath when expiring on the cross: what more could He give? Oh! His Mother still remained to Him. She was His dearest and most precious possession. Her tenderness was the only earthly joy He had ever known, and it is this sweet Mother whom He bequeaths to us. From the cross, where He hung in agony, casting His eyes on Mary, standing near Him, and on the beloved disciple, He let escape from His parched lips, or rather from His Heart, these four words which have touched all hearts: "Woman, behold Thy Son." And to the beloved disciple: " Behold thy Mother." As if He would have said: "My Mother, I am about to die; but I bequeath to you a son; I give him to you; he will love, console and protect you. And you, my dear children, whom my disciple represents, I will not leave you orphans: I am dying, but I bequeath to you my Mother. She will love you as only a mother can love, as she loved Me: Behold your mother." O sublime legacy! O precious inheritance! which, alone, would suffice to reveal all the tenderness of that divine Heart. The angels of heaven received that loving testament, and Jesus sealed it with His precious blood.. O Mary, thou art truly my Mother, and I am thy child!

Christians, let us accept, with gratitude, this last gift of Jesus, the gift of His Mother. Oh! how great a treasure has He given us, for the heart of Mary is the most pure, the most holy and loving that the hand of Almighty God has formed after that of Jesus. Let us bless Jesus for this wondrous gift, and let us thank Mary; but, above all, let us love this tender Mother. And whatever be our trials or our sins, let us place all our confidence in her. Can a mother ever forget her favorite child? No, indeed, and what does our Lord say by the mouth of his prophet? "And if she should forget, yet I will not forget thee" (Isaias. xlix. 15). Oh! what greater proof could He give us of the love of His Heart? He gives as His Mother, and assures us that He loves us much more than she can ever love us. Glory, then, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our merciful Redeemer and Master, and never-ending love to the immaculate and tender heart of Mary, our Mother, the Queen of Angels.

EXAMPLE.

History relates that the Tartars, having spread terror throughout Europe, besieged with a large army Kinwalous, the capital of European and Asiatic Russia. After a vigorous resistance, the city was taken by assault and sacked by the enemy, who, having massacred great numbers of the inhabitants, finally set fire to it. When the victorious army entered the town, St. Hyacinth, a Dominican monk, was at the altar saying Mass. His religious brethren came and warned him that there was not a moment to lose, and that if he wished to save himself and his community it was necessary to fly at once, otherwise he would fall into the hands of the barbarians. He followed their advice, but, unwilling to leave the divine Eucharist exposed to the profanations of the enemy, he took in one hand the ciborium, and in the other the image of the Blessed Virgin, saying to his religious: "Follow me, my brothers, and be full of confidence; the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the immaculate heart of Mary will save us." He left the church, followed by the community, traversed the burning streets, and passed by the hordes of barbarians, who gazed on him with respect and admiration. Reaching the banks of the river Eorysthenus, and not finding any boat there, he recommended himself to Jesus and Mary, and stepping on the water which remained firm beneath him, he crossed the river with dry feet, accompanied by all his brethren, and thus they were saved! Christians! receive the divine Host into your heart, place upon your breast the image of Mary and you will triumph over all the enemies of your salvation. Heart of Jesus, Heart of Mary, be always our hope, our love, our refuge and our salvation.

PRAYER.

Heart of Jesus, give us a filial love for her whom Thou hast bequeathed to us as our Mother, with Thy last breath on the cross. Grant that her protection may be our safeguard, her example the rule of our conduct, her heart our refuge and shelter in all dangers. Grant that she may be our hope during life and at the dread moment of death. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Do not fail to thank Jesus for giving you his Mother to be your Mother also. In gratitude honor her with some act of devotion each day.

The Twenty-Fifth Day of June

Fourth Means of Honoring the Heart of Jesus: to Venerate its Pictures.

"My Savior," said Saint Margaret Mary, "has assured me that He took the greatest pleasure in seeing the interior sentiments of His Heart and love honored under the representation of His human Heart, the same as He had manifested It to me, encircled with flames, crowned with thorns and surmounted by a cross; and He desired that this representation should be publicly exposed, in order to touch the cold hearts of men. At the same time He promised to pour forth abundantly on those who honored it, the treasures of grace with which His Sacred Heart is filled, and that wherever this representation should be exposed it would draw down all manner of blessings." St. Margaret Mary spared no efforts in having this holy image engraved and distributed every where. Her desire was to show it to all sinners in order to convert them, and to all the just so that they might be inflamed with love. She even painted one of these pictures with her own blood, and composed a prayer and an act of consecration, in which she gave herself to Jesus without reserve, and for ever.

Relying on this solemn promise of our Savior, those who are devoted to the Sacred Heart love to venerate Its holy representations, and to distribute these pictures so that the sight of them may console and encourage all. It is related in the Acts of the Apostles that the shadow of St. Peter healed the sick; should we then be surprised that not only the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but even Its image is powerful enough to heal the maladies of our souls? St. Teresa wished to see it in all the places where she cast her eyes. "Being," she says, "unable to represent objects to my imagination, I was jextremely fond of pious pictures. Unhappy those who lose by their own fault, the help which they might draw from them. It is evident that they do not love our Lord, for, if they loved Him, they would rejoice to see His picture, just as in the world, people are pleased to see the portraits of those whom they tenderly love."

Christians, in order to excite your devotion, have in your room some representation of this adorable Heart, painted, so to speak, by the hand of our Savior Himself. Place it where you can often see it, so that the sight of it may enkindle in your heart the fire of divine love. Kiss it even with the same respect as you would the Sacred Heart of Jesus Itself. Shrink from no sacrifice in order to propagate these holy pictures. Distribute them in the remotest villages, in the humble cottage of the poor laborer, so that at night, at the time of prayer, all may understand the treasures of love with which this Sacred Heart is filled for us. The more these pictures are distributed, the more the Heart of Jesus will be known and loved.

EXAMPLE.

A few years ago, a loving mother, on bidding farewell to her son, leaving for the African war, gave him a medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, making him promise to wear it always on his breast. Faithful to his word, the young officer never laid aside this pledge of his mother’s tender affection and confidence, and to it he owed his life. In that glorious campaign, in which the French soldiers behaved so nobly, he was chosen, as being one of the bravest and most valiant, by the commander-in-chief, for a perilous enterprise. Entering a dangerous ravine, the troops suffered greatly from the enemy s fire. The general ordered them to charge, and, the young officer leading the way, they rushed on the Arabs who occupied the pass. His regiment was almost entirely annihilated, and he was himself hit several times; but the bullet, which struck him full in the chest, and would have caused his death, was flattened against the medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and he escaped uninjured. Full of fervor and gratitude for so miraculous a protection, the young officer never ceased to proclaim the praises of the Sacred Heart, and to publish everywhere the wonders worked in his favor. Often he has been seen to kneel at the altar with his pious mother, to receive and thank the God of victory for having preserved him from certain death, and restored him safely to his paternal home.

PRAYER.

Divine Jesus, I will cherish and venerate the representation of Thy Sacred Heart, which recalls to my mind the love with which It burns for me. I will give it to my friends and relations, to the sick and afflicted as a pious remembrance. Grant that it may be for all a pledge of benedictions during life and at the hour of death. Amen.

PRACTICE.

You will have already seen to it that the image of the Sacred Heart has a place of honor in your own home. Now give copies of this image to others that it might occupy a place of honor in their homes.

The Twenty-Fourth Day of June

Third Means of Honoring the Heart of Jesus: to Sanctify the First Friday of Every Month.

Our Lord, when appearing to Blessed Margaret Mary, said: "My child, be attentive to my words and to what I shall command you for the accomplishment of my designs. You must communicate on the first Friday of every month, so as to honor my outraged Heart." Margaret Alacoque faithfully observed this injunction, and she received at those times most abundant favors. The first Friday in each month is, therefore, a feast day established by our Lord Himself, a day on which His divine Heart expands to bestow on us copious and special graces. On this favored day, fervent souls rejoice and feel the need of drawing near to the adorable Heart of Jesus which loves man so much; of being intimately united to Him in Holy Communion; of visiting Him in the Sacrament of His love, to rekindle at the burning furnace of His Sacred Heart the fire of their zeal and their desire for perfection. They also set apart this day to recollect themselves, and to examine their consciences before God as to how they have spent the last month; and they make resolutions to sanctify better the one which then commences. In many parishes Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is given on the first Friday of the month, preceded by an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in several religious communities, there is Exposition during the day, followed by Benediction. Many miracles of protection in danger, cures and conversions to God, testify that the first Friday of the month is a privileged festival, a day on which all graces can be asked for and obtained from the merciful Heart of Jesus: "This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein" (Psalm cxvii. 24).

Christians, since we know that the first Friday of each month is the day which Jesus has chosen, let it be for us a day of grace and recollection. A God condescends to make known to His creature what will be pleasing to Him and beneficial to us, and shall we neglect to perform it? No, it shall not be so; in the morning let us make our meditation on the riches of that adorable Heart, and ask It to instil into our souls holy thoughts with which to occupy our minds throughout the day. Let us also hear Mass and receive Communion with all fervor, offering to Jesus the ardent love of His servant Margaret Mary to supply for our deficiencies. We should, if possible, choose a quiet time to make a review of our conduct during the past month, to ask pardon for our faults, and thank God for all His graces, concluding the day by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, and an act of consecration to the divine Heart of Jesus. If we are faithful to these pious practices, how many favors and blessings shall we not draw down upon our souls, and transported with holy joy we shall be able to exclaim with the Psalmist: "O Jesus! O Lord of Hosts ! How lovely are Thy Tabernacles! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. For better is one day in Thy courts above thousands elsewhere."

EXAMPLE.

A few years ago, as is related in the Messenger of the Sacred Heart, a poor woman who had scarcely ever known the blessing of health, was at last obliged to keep to her bed, being reduced to a state of complete exhaustion. The doctor, thinking she was in a hopeless condition, did not prescribe any remedy; and being forced to send her children out to work every day, the poor widow was left almost entirely alone. She used to leave her door open from morning to night, so that the neighbors and charitable passers-by might come to her aid in case of need. Her patience was wonderful, and no one ever saw her yield to impatience or sadness. One thing, however, grieved her: it was the thought of dying without seeing the beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart, which had been placed in the parish church. "Ah!" said she, "it is certain that I shall never be able to go to church again; I shall never see the Sacred Heart." Those about her replied: "Do not lose confidence; if it is necessary, you can be carried to the church." The poor woman began a novena to the divine Heart of Jesus, and asked to have a Mass said for her on the first Friday in the Month of May, at the altar of the Sacred Heart, hoping to be able by some means to assist at the Holy Sacrifice. Her friends agreed to wrap her in a large shawl and carry her to the church; but this was not enough for her, she insisted on fasting so that she might go to Communion. The first Friday in May came round, and her daughter and a neighbor carried her in their arms to the church. After hearing Mass and receiving Communion, she heaved a sigh and exclaimed: "I am cured! I return thanks to the Heart of Jesus." She rose up and walked alone to the altar which was decorated for the month of May, where for some space of time she remained on her knees praying. She then returned to her home without support, and without experiencing any inconvenience. Her cure was complete and lasting. The poor woman restored to health became the joy and happiness of her little house hold, and she showed her gratitude towards the divine Heart of Jesus by never failing to communicate in thanksgiving, every first Friday of the month.

PRAYER.

O Jesus! in future I resolve to keep each first Friday of the month as a festival in honor of Thy Sacred Heart. I will invoke Thee with greater confidence, I will communicate with more fervor, and Thou wilt shower down on me Thy most abundant graces and blessings. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Resolve, as in the above prayer, to devoutly keep each First Friday for the rest of your life.

The Twenty-Third Day of June

Second Means of Honoring the Heart of Jesus: Visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

Consider that next to hearing Mass, and receiving Holy Communion, there is nothing so acceptable to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or so beneficial to our souls, as to visit often our divine Lord in the Sacrament of His love. Yes, both day and night, the Master is there on His throne of mercy. He is there with His Body, His Blood, his soul, and divinity, in a word the same as He is in heaven, except that His glory is veiled. He is there with His boundless love for us, He is there as the Lamb ever mystically immolated, whose Blood pleads for mercy for all poor sinners. He is there with His Heart, so good and so compassionate, so afflicted by our ingratitude, so eager to pour into our souls streams of grace. The Master is there and honors us by His loving invitation: "Come to me all you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matt, xi. 28), Behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world (Matt, xxviii. 20), My delights are to be with the children of men (Prov. viii. 31), Every day I stretch my hands to you; come to me; my Heart overflows with graces ready to enrich you." Oh! how ungrateful and indifferent shall we not be if we refuse to listen to the call of so good a Master! Does not a devoted child love to meet its father and take pleasure in being with him; and what greater consolation is there on earth than conversing with a faithful friend? "It is impossible," says a pious author, "to enumerate all the graces which a soul receives during these visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Lights which illuminate the understanding are there obtained, divine inspirations which soften the heart and graces which sanctify; so that it might almost be said, that the salvation of a soul faithful in making the daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament is secure." St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and St. John Berchmans all found their only happiness in being near Jesus in the Eucharist. And it was there that St. Francis Xavier sought repose after the labors of his apostolate, and gathered fresh strength to undertake new conquests. In a word, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus hidden under the Eucharist veils, has always been the favorite devotion of all the saints.

Christians, examine your conscience on this point. Have you a fixed hour for visiting the most holy Sacrament? Are you faithful in keeping to it? Do you not prefer visits to your friends and acquaintances, visits which are often useless and dangerous to your salvation? In short, in your temptations, your discouragements, and afflictions, is it at the foot of the Tabernacle, that you seek comfort and strength? Resolve, from this moment, never to let a single day pass without visiting Jesus the Prisoner of love, and in these visits, propose to yourself to honor in a special manner the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to make reparation to Him for the coldness and neglect of others. When retiring from the church, leave your heart in the holy Ciborium with the divine Host, continue in spirit to adore and love Him, thus you will be able to say with the great apostle St. Paul: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

O Heart of Jesus! may the fire of Thy divine love daily increase within me.

EXAMPLE.

Some years ago, a young man was, unhappily, led astray into the paths of Jewish infidelity.

While still in the flower of youth, his heart was filled with dreams of glory, and, being a distinguished musician, he hoped to achieve it, by introducing on the stage the inspirations of his genius. One evening, he was asked to play the organ in one of the principal churches in Paris; and this unexpected occasion for displaying his talents was eagerly accepted by the young man. There in that church God, awaited him, and prepared for him, not a triumph for his self-love, but an humiliation a thousand times more glorious. Already the roof of the sacred edifice re-echoed the sound of the solemn chants, and the melodious tones of the organ had filled all hearts with recollection and prayer; every head was bowed and the God of the Eucharist had blessed His children prostrate in lowly adoration, The unbelieving musician, alone, dared to raise his haughty brow before that God despised by his fore-fathers, but it was in vain. A mysterious and invisible hand bowed his head and humbled him to the ground. A miracle of grace was effected, the young man was conquered; he knelt down a Jew, he rose up a Christian, unbelief had given place to faith. Bewildered, his heart wounded, as it were, by the Real Presence in the sacred Host, he left the church. Soon the waters of baptism were poured upon him, and exchanging his fashionable attire for the coarse serge of a monk, he bade an eternal farewell to the pleasures of the world. A living example of the power of the Blessed Sacrament, he went from city to city, and from village to village, proclaiming everywhere the love of that God who had vanquished his unbelief, and in the unspeakable joy of his happiness, repeating again and again: "The days of grief are departed. I have found peace of heart since I have tasted the delights of the tabernacle of the Lord." If you would know the name of this privileged soul, ask it at the cloister of Mount Carmel, still fragrant with the sweet odor of his memory, and they will tell you it was Father Augustine, of the most Holy Sacrament. Augustine, to remind him of his errors and wanderings; and of the most Holy Sacrament, to excite him to bless for ever the divine cause of his conversion. If one single visit to the God of the Eucharist transformed an obstinate Jew into a good Christian and holy monk, what may we not hope to obtain in future, by fervent and devout visits to the Blessed Sacrament of the altar?

PRAYER.

O Jesus! incomprehensible love! since Thou art so good as to dwell amongst us, I now resolve to visit Thee frequently in the Holy Eucharist. Shower down Thy graces upon me during the happy moments of intercourse with Thee. My poor heart needs rest, and this rest may be found in Thee even here below, whilst we wait to possess it in all its plenitude in our heavenly home. Amen.

PRACTICE.

Visit the Blessed Sacrament everyday without fail. Even a short visit is better than no visit at all.

The Twenty-Second Day of June

First Means of Honoring the Heart of Jesus: Frequent Communion.

Consider that the object of devotion to the Sacred Heart is to inflame all hearts with love. Now the memorial of all the miracles of love accomplished by our Savior is the holy Eucharist, that divine food which He has prepared for those who fear Him; and the greatest proof of gratitude and affection that we can give, is to receive Him who gives Himself to us. Sister Agnes of Jesus, of the order of St. Dominic, was so convinced that the Man God, in instituting the Blessed Eucharist, had willed to enkindle divine love more and more in our hearts, that at the moment of Communion she exclaimed in a transport of joy: "Let us approach to the God of love." One day she received the Sacred Host under the form of a fire, which so inflamed her heart with love, that she seemed during the remainder of the day unmindful of all things else. St. Teresa, when dying, regretted she could not die of love, and her desire for Holy Communion was so great, that she would willingly have exposed her life to danger, if by so doing, she could have partaken of the Bread of angels. It is said in Scripture: "Can a man hide fire in his bosom and his garments not burn?" (Prov. vi. 27); in like manner it is impossible that our hearts should not burn with love, if we often receive Jesus in the Sacred Host. Pious souls, truly devoted to the Sacred Heart, eagerly desire to participate frequently in this divine banquet, and they rejoice when the days of Communion come round. With them, as with the heavenly spirits who are continually nourished with God with out ever being satiated, the more they communicate, the more they desire to communicate. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque used to say: "without the Blessed Sacrament I could not live."

Christians, are you animated with a great desire to communicate, or do you not feel a sort of indifference, nay, even repugnance to approach the Bread of Angels? Oh! if you did but realize the pain you cause the Heart of Jesus. Communicate in future, as often as you can. Your good Master invites you. "Take ye and eat, this is my Body" (Matt. xxxi. 26). "With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you" (Luke xxii. 25). Communicate then often; the faithful of the early Church used to receive every day; how great was their fervor and faith. Communicate often in order to make reparation for the indifference, the coldness, the insults, the treachery of which Jesus complains when speaking of the Holy Eucharist. Yes, communicate often, and may you be able to say with Saint Margaret Mary: "I have so great a desire for Holy Communion, that in order to obtain it, I would willingly walk bare-footed along a path of flames." In return you will merit to hear the consoling words which Jesus addressed to his humble servant: "My daughter, I have chosen thy soul to be for me a place of repose on earth, and thy heart shall be a throne of joy for my divine love."

EXAMPLE.

In an ecclesiastical seminary of the diocese of Rouen, one of the students was distinguished for his piety and intelligence, and was generally the first in his class. The day after he had made his first Communion, he went, as was the custom, to his director, to show him the paper on which he had written his resolutions. These consisted of one only, couched in these words : "I am resolved to continue to wear the white neck-tie of my first Communion, as long as I do not commit a grievous sin." The priest was surprised and said to him: "I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of allowing you to keep so strange a resolution; you must go to your mother and first ask her permission." This he did and explaining the whole matter, he pleaded his cause so well, that he was permitted to follow his pious wishes. George, for such was his name, was not satisfied with keeping only this memorial of his first Communion in order to preserve himself in the grace of God, he made a rule to receive Holy Communion every Sunday and on the principal feasts of the year. In 1870 he finished his studies and took his degree as Bachelor in Arts. He had then completed his eighteenth year. When the war broke outbetween France and Germany he obtained his father’s permission to join the Pontifical Zouaves under General Charette. He had been a model of every Christian virtue at college, and he was one also as a soldier continuing every Sunday his weekly Communion. In the month of January, when near the town of Le Mans, the Zouaves were ordered to retake an entrenchment from the Prussians. George distinguished himself by his bravery, and though his side was victorious, he fell mortally wounded. Immediately he asked for the chaplain and said to him: "Father, three days ago I went to confession and Communion and I have nothing on my conscience; be so good then as to bring me the holy Viaticum. I will also ask you to do a little commission for me; go to my knapsack, you will know it by its number; there you will find a white neck tie, a white ribbon, and a rosary; they are the memorials of my first Communion; be so good as to bring them to me." When the priest returned, George said; "Put the white tie round my neck." This the priest did, and having received the holy Viaticum, George added, "When I am dead, take off this necktie and send it to my mother; write to her and tell her from me, that this necktie of my first Communion has never been stained, except with the blood I have shed for our unhappy country." Oh! how beautiful was such a death! Was it not the result of his frequent Communions?

PRAYER.

O my God! how much does my indifference terrify me, and my lukewarmness afflict me. Alas! how often have I not forgotten to eat the Bread of life; how many communions have I not missed through my own fault. Divine Jesus, grant me a great hunger and thirst for thy sacred Body and Blood; I will in future communicate as often as I am allowed, and every day if I am able. Amen.

PRACTICE.

In addition to Sunday and Holy Day Masses, go to Mass at least one additional time each week.

The Twenty-First Day of June

Fifth Thorn of the Heart of Jesus: the Ungrateful Soul.

It is related in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, that, urged by zeal for the glory of God, he passed weeping through the towns and villages of Umbria, exclaiming: "Love is not loved, love is not loved." If this was the cause of so lively a grief in the thirteenth century, in that age of faith when St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Bonaventure, St. Louis and St. Elizabeth effected, by their examples, so much good, what words would now be required, and how many tears would have to be shed, to deplore the ingratitude of the present age towards the loving Heart of Jesus? Listen to the complaint He uttered: "Behold this Heart which loves men so much and which is so little loved in return." Sad as the thought is. it is, unfortunately, true, for how many souls are there who do not know the tender and generous love of the Heart of Jesus for them; their number cannot be enumerated. How many others are there who have some knowledge of it and yet are not faithful in making a return for so much love, Alas! there is nothing more common in the world than ingratitude; and how this fresh and painful thorn must cause the Heart of Jesus to bleed. We have the assurance of it conveyed in the words He addressed to His servant St. Margaret Mary: "That which grieves me more than all I have suffered in my passion is the ingratitude of men. They receive with coldness and indifference every sign I vouchsafe them of my willingness to confer benefits on them." Who would not deplore, from the bottom of their hearts, such deep ingratitude; who would not shed tears of blood over the thought, that all the proofs given to us of the tenderness of Jesus Christ become, in consequence of our indifference and wickedness, the cause of the great sorrows of His adorable Heart!

Christians, since gratitude is one of the distinctive marks of devotion to the Sacred Heart, you should endeavor never to pass a day without recalling to your mind the blessings you have received from God; the blessings of creation, of preservation, of the call to the true faith, of the sacraments, of the Heart of Jesus, and many other particular graces. Do yet more; thank God for all the favors He would have bestowed on you if you had been more faithful, and for all those that, in the future, will be granted to you. Thank Him for all those who, receiving His favors, return Him no thanks, or use them only to offend Him. Gratitude is the special virtue of noble and generous souls, and is a most sure means for obtaining fresh blessings, whilst, on the contrary, ingratitude dries up their source. O Jesus! give us Thy loving Heart, we will offer It to Thy Father, and this offering will fully discharge our debt of gratitude.

EXAMPLE.

During the reign of terror in 1871, the prisoners of the Commune, in Paris, in the dungeons of Mazas, were preparing to make the sacrifice of their lives to God. They ceased not to repeat again and again: "Veni, Domini Jesu! Come, Lord Jesus." And the answer was: "Yes, behold I come quickly: Etiam venio cito" (Apoc. xxii. 20). Suddenly the doors opened, the captives did not leave, but Jesus entered. A courageous woman, whose twofold character of American and Protestant enabled her to visit the prisoners without exciting suspicion, brought to the confessors of Jesus Christ a little box, containing several consecrated hosts, which a priest had secretly given her, begging her not to fail in placing it in the hands of the captives. The prisoners were filled with joy and consolation. "I am no longer alone," wrote one of them; "I have our Lord as my guest in my little cell; I feel as I did on the day of my first communion, and I shed tears of joy. O my God! how good Thou art! how true it is that the mercy of Thy Heart will never fail! What thanks do we not owe to the benevolent woman who has procured us so much happiness; we cease not to pray for her, and we hope that the gift she made to us may be rewarded, more especially in the time of trial." On the 24th of May, the hour sounded for leaving earth for heaven; fortified with the holy Viaticum and Jesus in their hearts, the saintly prisoners went forth to yield up their lives into the hands of God. A volley was heard, then one or two single shots; all was over, the victims were no longer victims but martyrs. Their grateful prayers were not offered in vain; the Protestant lady who had brought them the Sacred Hosts, received in return, from the Heart of Jesus, the gift of the true faith. She is now a Catholic. Happy woman! who found thus a heavenly treasure in the midst of the horrors of a siege, which destroyed so much earthly wealth. On her return to America, she was able to proclaim the gratitude of the French martyrs and the generosity of the Heart of Jesus.

PRAYER.

Divine Heart of Jesus, I bless and thank Thee for all the favors that Thou hast bestowed on me, notwithstanding my unfaithfulness to grace. I thank Thee also for all that Thou hast granted to my relatives, friends and benefactors. I offer Thee in return the thanksgivings of all fervent souls, those of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, and with Thy prophet I will never cease to say: "Give praise to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever." Amen.

PRACTICE.

Do not fail at the end of every day to thank the Sacred Heart for all He has done for you.