The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be celebrated on June 12th this year.
In order to prepare we will post reflections on the Heart of Jesus by St. Francis de Sales, as a mini-novena.
Day 9
“My Beloved is mine and I am His.” I do nothing except to please Him; His Heart is always turned towards me in watchful care, as mine is always turned towards Him in confidence.” Having done all things for our Beloved in this life, He will have care to provide us with His eternal glory as the reward of our confidence; and there we shall see how happy are those who cast away all the anxious and superfluous cares which we generally have about ourselves and our perfection, devoting themselves simply to their work, abandoning themselves without any reserve into the hands of the divine Goodness, for which they have labored.
SPC 90
Day 8
In prayer union is often made by means of little but frequent flights and advances of the soul towards God. If you watch a little infant joined and united to its mother’s breast, you will see that from time to time it presses on and clasps her closer with little movements aroused by the pleasure it takes in drinking in her milk. So too the heart united to God in prayer often makes certain renewals of its union by movements in which it presses and joins itself more closely to the divine sweetness. For example, after the soul has long dwelt in that sentiment of union whereby it sweetly tastes its happiness in belonging to God, it finally increases this union by a heartfelt pressing and upward flight and says, “Yes, Lord, I am yours, all, all, all yours without reserve.” Or again, “ Ah, Lord, I am yours, and I wish always to be yours more and more!” Or again, by way of prayer, “O sweet Jesus, draw me always deeper into your Heart so that your love may consume me and I may be swallowed up in its sweet joy.”
Treatise on the Love of God 2, 7:1, 15
Day 7
God’s love is seated within the Savior’s heart as on a royal throne. He beholds through the cleft of his pierced side all the hearts of the children of men. His heart is king of hearts, and he keeps his eyes fixed on our hearts. Just as those who peer through a lattice see clearly while they themselves are only half seen, so too the divine love within that heart, or rather that heart of divine love, always clearly sees our hearts and looks on them with his eyes of love, while we do not see him, but only half see him. If we could see him as he is, O God, since we are mortal men we would die for love of him, just as when he was in mortal flesh he died for us, and just as he would still die for us were he not now immortal. Oh, if we could hear this divine heart singing with a voice infinitely sweet his canticle of praise to the divinity! What joy, what stirring within our hearts to spring up to heaven so as to hear it forever.
Treatise on the Love of God 1, 5:11, 263
Day 6
God is not only in the place in which you are, but He is, in a most particular manner, in your heart and in the very center of your spirit. This he enlivens and animates by his divine presence, being there as the heart of your heart and as the spirit of your spirit. For just as the soul, being diffused through the whole body, is present in every part thereof and yet resides in a special manner in the heart, so likewise God is present in all things and yet resides in a more particular manner in our spirit. For this reason David calls him “the God of his heart.” And St. Paul says that it is in God “we live, and move, and are.” Therefore, in consideration of this truth, excite in your heart a profound reverence towards God, who is there so intimately present.
Introduction to the Devout Life 2: 2
Day 5
I’m sure you are advancing always along the way of your good resolutions. Don’t be upset by these little attacks of anxiety and sadness that are brought on by the multiplicity of your household cares. No, my dear daughter, for this gives you the opportunity of practicing the dearest and best virtues that our Lord recommended to us. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:29-30 Note: Francis’s favorite scripture passage, the source of his love for gentleness and humility.
LSD 161
Day 4
Bearing with the imperfections of our neighbor is one of the chief characteristics of love. Our Lord showed us this upon the cross. His Heart was full of tenderness and love for us; for us, I say, and even for those who caused His death, and who thereby committed the most monstrous sin that man could ever commit.
SPC 66
Day 3
“ Our Blessed Father teaches how to love one’s neighbor, for whom his own love was so pure and so unfeigned. “We must look upon all the souls of men as resting in the Heart of our Savior. Alas! They who regard their fellow-men in any other way run the risk of not loving them with purity, constancy, or impartiality. But beholding them in that divine resting place, who can do otherwise than love them, bear with them, and be patient with their imperfections? Who dare call them irritating or troublesome? Yes, your neighbor is there in the Heart of the Savior, and there so beloved and lovable that the Divine Lover dies for love of him.”
SCA 77
Day 2
“May we be forever attached to the cross and may a hundred thousand arrows pierce us, provided that our heart has first been pierced by the burning shaft in the love of God. May this arrow make us die that holy death which is worth more than a thousand lives. … Open your heart wide, my dear daughter, and as long as the love of God is your desire, and your aim is his glory, live with joy and courage. How ardently I long for the Savior’s heart to be king of all our hearts.!”
LST 129
Day 1
“Consider the love with which Jesus Christ our Lord has suffered so much in this world, especially in the Garden of Olives and on Mount Calvary. This love is for you. By all these pains and sufferings He obtained of God the Father these good resolutions and protestations for your heart. By the same means He also obtained whatever remains necessary to maintain, nourish, strengthen, and fulfill these resolutions. It is certain that the Heart of our dear Jesus beheld your heart from the tree of the Cross and loved it. By the love that He bore it, He obtained for it every good that you shall ever have, and among others your resolutions. We may all say with the prophet Jeremias, “O Lord, before I was Thou didst behold me, and called me by my name.” Introduction to the Devout Life 5: 13