Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart Bernaud , a French mystic (1825-1903) and Foundress of the Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart
Born Constance Bernaud in Besancon, France on October 28, 1825 and the eldest of eight children, our sister first learned of the Sacred Heart through her Aunt Barbara at age 4. Although her inclination for religious life was first made known at age 5, the family arranged for her betrothal at age 16. Widowed at age 20 after a difficult and childless marriage, Constance’ strong faith was fruitful in bringing to birth the conversion of her husband prior to his death.
As the Feast of the Sacred Heart approached when Constance was 24, she confirmed her call to religious life during a retreat made at the Monastery of the Visitation at Bourg. On the First Friday of April, 1851, she professed her religious vows , receiving the name Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart, and embarked on her “vocation within a vocation” of offering her all for the love and glory of the Sacred Heart. That day she wrote: “Today I know that my Spouse wants me to become a victim of love and reparation to His Divine Heart.”
Sister served as mistress of the school at Bourg, fostering love of God and reverence for His Heart in her students, who nicknamed her the Sister of Pure Love. Her poor health required that she take on a less demanding role, however. This kind and simple soul poured forth her devotion to the Heart of Jesus into the Bourg community so much that on June 7, 1862, the monastery was solemnly dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
In December of the same year, the Monastery of Bourg received a letter from the Visitation Sisters in Annecy, the founding house, containing this sentence: “Our Lord complained to a favored soul to whom He had revealed His Heart that we (Visitandines) do not employ enough zeal in spreading Its devotion.” On hearing those words, the sisters looked towards Sr. Marie saying: “It is up to you to find a new way to glorify the Heart of Jesus” and within a few days, Sister composed this act of abandonment which each sister adopted and signed:
ACT OF ABANDONMENT
O my Jesus, I, NN, to glorify the most adorable Trinity, to console your Divine Heart and save sinners, surrender and give myself fully and without reservation to all the pure love You have for me in order to please your Divine Heart.
After this, Sr. Marie had a vision of The Sacred Heart surrounded by a dial with the words Glory! Love! Reparation! She felt compelled to reproduce this image and entitled it Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart. Mother Marie-Julia, her Superior, on seeing the image, blessed and approved it allowing each sister to choose an hour of private prayer dedicated to the Heart of Jesus. Mother inscribed their names around the dial and on March 13, 1863, the fledgling Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded.
Read more about Sr. Marie at the Tyringham Visitation.