Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/330

 contempt, irreverence,  sacrilege,  even  in  the  Sacrament of  my  Love. But what  is  still  more  sensible to me  is,  that  I suffer  this  from  persons  specially consecrated to  my  service. I desire, then,  that  the first Friday  after  the  octave  of  the  Holy  Sacrament be devoted  to  honour  my  Heart,  by  an  act  of  reparation, and  that  the  Holy  Communion  be  received, in order  to  repair  the  indignities  it  has  suffered while exposed  on  the  altars; and  I promise  that  this Heart will  dilate  itself,  to  diffuse  abundantly  the influence of  its  divine  love  on  those  who  will  render to it  this  honour.”  “ But,  my  Saviour,”  said  the religious, “ to  whom  do  you  address  yourself? To a vile creature; to  a poor  sinner  whose  unworthiness would even  be  capable  of  preventing  the  accomplishment of  your  design? Have you  not  many  fervent, generous souls  to  execute  it?”  “ What!”  said  our Lord, “ do  you  not  know  that  I employ  the  weak to confound  the  strong,  and  that  it  is  ordinarily  the poor and  the  humble  I render  the  instruments  of  my greatest  works,  that  they  may  not  attribute  the glory of  them  to  themselves?”

The “Devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart,”  now  sanctioned by  the  Church,  is  indeed  a treasure  hidden  in a field,  which  he  who  finds  shall  obtain  life,  and  draw down salvation  from  the  Lord. If you  wish  to esteem  it  as  it  ought  to  be  esteemed,  listen  to  yet other words  addressed  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  same Venerable Margaret  Mary  Alacoque: "Recommend this  devotion  to  seculars,  as  a sure  and  easy  means of  obtaining  from  me  a true  love  of  God;  to  ecclesiastics and  religious  persons,  as  an  efficacious  means of  arriving  at  the  perfection  of  their  state; to  those who  labour  in  the  conversion  of  souls,  as  a powerful help  in  touching  hearts  the  most  obdurate; in  fine,