Devotion to the Sacred Heart

18th June, 2019 (Mark Anthony Beale - St. Mark the Evangelist) - As we are now in the month of June, which the Church dedicates to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I thought it was high time to purchase a book that Our Lord Himself commanded to be published, titled Devotion to the Sacred Heart by Fr. John Croiset, SJ (Tan Books). 

It is, in essence, a complete manual for true devotion to the Sacred Heart, complete with a work covering the life of St. Margaret Mary, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart, chapters instructing the reader on proper devotion to the Sacred Heart, meditations for each Friday of the year and for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, and various prayers to the Sacred Heart composed by St. Margaret Mary. 

I have heard this book mentioned by various priests, but have never managed to obtain a copy of it myself. Well, now I have. I haven't had it for long, but I have managed to read through the life of St. Margaret Mary, of whom I previously was completely ignorant about. After reading her life, I cannot but state that I now stand in awe of this Apostle of the Sacred Heart, and I have presently asked her intercession to help me begin a true devotion to the Sacred Heart.

I have also resigned to pray a month long novena to the Sacred Heart for the month of June, beseeching Our Lord through St. Margaret Mary's intercession to help me establish devotion to His Heart, and to consecrate myself to Him under this most noble symbol of His love. Though I am only on Chapter III of the book, I am already well aware that devotion to the Sacred Heart and devotion to the Holy Eucharist are inseparable devotions; they are one and the same. I must admit that my devotion to the Holy Eucharist has been lacking as of late, and so I can only take this as a gentle sign from Our Lord that He wishes for me to return to an ardent and zealous love for Him in the Sacred Host. 

I would highly recommend that this book adorn every Catholic bookshelf, and be placed next to St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and that it be meditated upon. Did I mention it is a book that was commissioned by Jesus Himself; it thus has Divine approbation?! What more surety could one have that this book is most orthodox, true, and beneficial to the soul? I can only stand in shame when I contemplate that I have only just recently purchased this book, and that I have been lacking both in devotion and zeal to the Sacred Heart, and that I have been most ignorant as to the love of Jesus Christ. 

May it please the Sacred Heart to correct what is lacking in my devotion to Him, and may He fill me with burning zeal for Him. 

St. Margaret Mary, Apostle of the Sacred Heart, aid me in establishing devotion to this most noble Heart, and teach me true devotion to It!