Venerable Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche
Mystic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for His Priests
Margaret de la Touche was born in 1868 in France and entered the Visitation Order in 1890.
Our Lord chose her to live her religious life for the clergy. Jesus said to her,
“My priest is my other Self. I love him, but he must be holy, Nineteen centuries ago, twelve men changed the world, they were no mere men, they were priests! Now once more twelve priests could change the world.”
“The heart of my priest ought to be a burning flame, warming and purifying souls. If the priest only knew the treasures of love which My Heart contains for him! Let him come to My Heart, let him draw from It, let him fill himself with love until it overflows from his heart and spreads itself over the world.
Margaret Mary has shown My Heart to the world, do you show It to My priests, and draw them all to My Heart.”
Ven. Louise Margaret’s mission included organizing four groups that would make known his love to priests.
Eventually the contemplative house she founded became a new congregation, Bethany of the Sacred Heart.
She encouraged all to pray this prayer for priests:
Prayer to Jesus the Eternal Priest
‘O Jesus eternal High Priest, divine Offerer of Sacrifice, Who, in an incomparable transport of love for men, Thy brethren, didst allow the Christian priesthood to issue from Thy Sacred Heart, deign to continue to pour out on Thy priests the life-giving streams of Infinite Love. Live Thou in them, transform them into Thyself; render them by Thy grace the instruments of Thy mercies; act in them and through them, and grant, that, having been completely clothed with Thee by the faithful imitation of Thy adorable virtues, they may perform in Thy Name and by the strength of Thy Spirit, the works which Thou Thyself hast accomplished for the salvation of the world.
Divine Redeemer of souls, see how great is the multitude of those who still sleep in the darkness of error; count the number of those unfaithful sheep that are walking on the edge of the eternal abyss; consider the crowds of the poor, the hungry, the ignorant and the weak, who are groaning in their state of abandonment. Return to us by Thy priests, live again in very truth in them; act through them and pass again through the world teaching, pardoning, consoling, offering sacrifice, renewing the sacred bonds of love between the Heart of God and the hearts of men. Amen.’
You may learn more of Ven. Louise Margaret at the following website:
http://www.infinitelove.ie/motherlouise.htm
If you would like to join “Friends of Bethany” in the USA to pray for priests, please contact REV. Virgil Heier, C.M.M. at:
Our Lady of Grace Monastery
23715 Ann Arbor Trail
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127