The
Sorrowful Heart of Jesus
It is impossible to consider how
afflicted the heart of Jesus was for love of us and not to pity him. He Himself
tells us that His heart was overwhelmed with such sorrow, that this alone would
have sufficed to take His life away, and to make Him die of pure grief, if the
virtue of His Divinity had not, by a miracle, prevented His death: My soul
is sorrowful even unto death.
The principal sorrow which
afflicted the heart of Jesus so much was not the sight of the torments and
infamy which men were preparing for Him, but the sight of their ingratitude
towards His immense love. He distinctly foresaw all the sins which we should
commit after all His sufferings and such a bitter and ignominious death.
He
foresaw, especially, the horrible insults which men would offer to His adorable
heart, Which He has left us in the Most Holy Sacrament as a proof of His
affection. O my God, what affronts has not Jesus Christ received from men in
this Sacrament of love? One has trampled Him under foot, another has thrown Him
into the gutters, others have availed themselves of Him to pay homage to the
devil!
And yet the sight of all these
insults did not prevent Him from leaving us this great pledge of His love. He
has a sovereign hatred of sin; but still it seems as if His love towards us had
overcome the hatred He bore to sin, since He was content to permit these
sacrileges, rather than to deprive the souls that love Him of this Divine food.
Shall not all this suffice to make us love a heart that has loved us so
much?
Has not Jesus Christ done enough to
deserve our love? Ungrateful that we are, shall we still leave Jesus forsaken
on the altar, as the majority of men do? And shall we not unite ourselves to
those few souls who acknowledge Him, and melt with love more even than the
torches melt away which burn round the ciborium? The heart of Jesus remains
there, burning with love for us; and shall we not, in His Presence, burn with
love for Jesus?
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| Agnus Dei |
Affections and Prayers
My adorable and dearest
Jesus, behold at Thy feet one who has caused so much sorrow to Thy amiable
heart. O my God, how could I grieve this heart, Which has loved me so much, and
has spared nothing to make Itself loved by me? But console Thyself, I will say,
O my Saviour, for my heart having been wounded, through Thy grace, with Thy
most holy love, feels now so much regret for the offenses I have committed
against Thee, that it would fain die of sorrow. Oh; who will give me, my Jesus,
that sorrow for my sins which Thou didst feel for them in Thy life!
Eternal
Father, I offer Thee the sorrow and abhorrence Thy Son felt for my sins; and,
for His sake, I beseech Thee to give me so great a sorrow for the offenses I
have committed against Thee, that I may lead an afflicted and sorrowful life at
the thought of having once despised Thy friendship. And Thou, O my Jesus, do
Thou give me, from this day forth, such a horror of sin, that I may abhor even
the lightest faults, considering that they displease Thee, Who dost not deserve
to be offended much or little, but dost deserve an infinite love.
My beloved
Lord, I now detest everything that displeases Thee, and in future I will love
only Thee, and that which Thou lovest. Oh, help me, give me the strength, give
me the grace to invoke Thee constantly, O my Jesus, and always to repeat to
Thee this petition: My Jesus, give me Thy love. give me Thy love, give me Thy
love. And thou, most holy Mary, obtain for me the grace to pray to thee
continually, and to say to thee, O my Mother, make me love Jesus Christ.
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that
no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought
it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts,
we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In
our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but
mercifully grant our requests. Amen.
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