Meditations for the Feast and Octave: of the Holy Heart of Mary: The Vigil of the Feast (4): The Gifts of Wisdom, Piety, and Fear

The Gifts of Wisdom, Piety, and Fear

Let us consider the effects of the operation of the gifts of wisdom, piety, and fear of the Lord i n the heart of the most Blessed Virgin.

The gift of wisdom endowed her with the knowledge of created things and inspired in her the correct use of them. Through this gift she realized the inestimable value of souls, created to the image and likeness of God, which made her most zealous for our salvation.

The gift of piety engraved in her Heart the love and tenderness of a real mother for her children and filled her with a compassion for all

our miseries and afflictions, so great that she offered to His divine majesty everything she could do and suffer to assuage and help mankind.

The gift of fear of the Lord filled her filial Heart with a great apprehension to do only what was agreeable to God and to accomplish His most holy will at all times, in all places, and for His glory and satisfaction alone.

0 adorable Spirit, may eternal thanks be rendered to Thee for having thus enriched the very perfect Heart of Thy divine Spouse with all the treasures of Thy most infinite goodness.

Means of Participation in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit desires ardently to engulf your heart with a share of all the gifts with which He filled the heart of your divine Mother. Humiliate yourself and ask pardon for all the impediments that you have placed there; make a strong resolution of amendment, and ask the Blessed Virgin to acquaint you with the holy dispositions of her heart towards the sublime gifts of the Holy Ghost. Ejaculatory prayer:

"0 Heart of Mary, treasure of holiness, intercede for us." 0 Cor Mariae, thesaure sanctitatis, intercede pro nobis!

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The Holy Heart of Mary Is the Sanctified Garden

of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The Six First Fruits in the Holy Heart

Of Mary

LET us consider that the amiable Heart of the Blessed Mother of God is the enclosed garden that i s mentioned in the fourth chapter of the Canticle of Canticles, Hortus conclusus, a garden locked against the serpent and to everything displeasing to God, a garden open only to the Holy Ghost who produces i n it innumerable fruits, among which are twelve principal fruits which differ from the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The seven gifts are holy and virtuous habits which dispose souls to follow promptly the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, while the fruits are actions produced by the gifts and by virtue which we practise happily and joyfully with true love of God, under the direction of the Holy Ghost. The twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are: charity, joy, peace, patience, longanimity, goodness, benignity, meekness, faith, modesty, continence and chastity. Let us consider the effects of the first six fruits i n the Heart of the glorious Virgin.

Her Heart, because of charity and love, was wholly detached from all that was not God and was intimately and uniquely bound up in His divine majesty. joy filled her with great happiness in all the things accomplished by the Mother of love in the service of God's glory. Peace maintained a profound tranquillity in her very generous heart in the midst of all the tempests and storms which so often assailed her. Patience sustained her in her many trials. Longanimity made her await courageously the great things she expected from divine liberality. The incomparable goodness with which her soul was filled made her in

capable of the slightest unkind thought towards any man, even her cruelest enemies, and urged her continually to wish good for all.

Let us rejoice upon seeing so great and marvelous perfection in the heart of our inviolate Mother. Let us be deeply grateful to the Holy Ghost for lavishing these gifts upon her Heart and beg Him to make us a sharer in them.

The Six Other Fruits of the Holy Spirit

In the Holy Heart of Mary

Let us consider the effects of the six other fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Queen of Angels. Benignity rendered her sweet, affable, capable of doing good to all. Meekness kept all thoughts of sharpness and impatience from her, to soften her being with milk and honey. Faith, or rather, fidelity, filled her with truth, naïveté, and frankness and made her scrupulous in accomplishing her promises. Modesty forbade anyone to see in her the slightest shadow of worldly vanity and pomp; this holy virtue was reflected in her countenance with such true perfection that she could have been taken for an angel and even a divine being according to St. Denys if the rules of faith were not opposed to i t . Continence reigned in her heart and actions so that never did she experience any instinct other than the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Chastity clothed her with a purity so admirable that it made her worthy to be the Mother of the Saint of saints and the Queen of Seraphim.

0 Mother of my God, my heart is delighted to behold thy Heart filled with all perfection so that it is infinitely more worthy of honor and praise than the hearts of all angels and saints. Eternal praise to the King of all hearts!

Ways to Enjoy the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Let us adore the infinite desire of the Holy Spirit to imprint in our heart an image of all the fruits nurtured in the heart of His divine

Spouse. Let us ask pardon for all the obstacles we have interposed. Let us make a firm resolution to correspond to His great graces by a careful imitation of the adorable Heart of our amiable and loving Mother.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"0 Heart of Jesus and Mary, rule of our hearts, reign in our hearts forever." 0 Cor Jesu et Mariae, cordis fidelis regula, regna super cor nostrum in aeternum!

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The Holy Heart of Mary Is the Paradise

of the Eight Beatitudes

The First Four Beatitudes in the

Holy Heart of Mary

LET us consider how the blessed heart of the Mother of our Saviour is the rich paradise of the eight evangelical beatitudes which are similar to the fruits of the Holy Spirit, in so much as both are acts springing from virtuous habits infused into our souls with sanctifying grace, but they differ in that the beatitudes arc perfect and eminent acts of several virtues through which the Holy Spirit elevates souls to a state of perfection higher than that of the fruits.

The Holy Ghost infused all the beatitudes into the Heart of Mary from the moment of her Immaculate Conception, more perfectly than they ever existed in the hearts of even the greatest saints. Let us consider and honor in this marvelous Heart the beatitudes:

First, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5, 3). This beatitude contains two things: humility and love of poverty, which were deeply implanted in Mary's Heart, the most humble of all hearts except the Heart of Jesus, the Heart that had made a vow of poverty because of great love, as the Blessed Virgin revealed to St. Bridget. Consequently, our Lady gave all to the poor; she earned her daily living by her hands; she only wore a colorless woolen cape, according to Nicephore and Cedrenus; the presents she received from the Magi were given away as alms, St. Bonaventure says. Our Lady told St. Bridget that often Jesus, her Son, St. Joseph, her spouse and she herself lacked the necessities of daily life. This is easy to believe when we recall the words of the Son of God: "The foxes

have holes and the birds of the air nests, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matt. 8 , 20); because He would not have said that if His holy Mother had enjoyed some comforts, no matter how small.

The second beatitude is "Blessed are the meek." Who could express the sweetness and gentleness of this meekest of Hearts?

The third beatitude is "Blessed are they that mourn." 0 blessed Virgin, who could count the many swords of sorrow that pierced thy loving heart? 0 what torrents of tears poured from thy sorrowful eyes, tears even, so say the Saints, of blood!

The fourth beatitude is "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice." justice here means all Christian virtues, all the holy acts by which God is honored and served. To know the insatiable hunger and thirst of the Blessed Mother, to know the ways and means of best serving and honoring God, would also require a comprehension of her all-consuming love and ardor for His divine majesty and glory.

0 my all-good and sweet Mother, I give thee my heart; unite it, I beseech thee, to thine, even though it be most unworthy. Engrave on my heart a perfect picture of thy charity, humility, love for the poor and thy most intense yearning and thirst for all virtue

The Remaining Beatitudes in the

Holy Heart of Mary

Contemplate and honor the other beatitudes in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin. The fifth i s "Blessed arc the merciful." Two types of people are included in this beatitude. First, those who, for the love of God, readily forget the injuries done them. Secondly, those who, filled with compassion for the corporal and spiritual sorrows of their neighbor, try to give them all possible aid and help. 0 Mother of Mercy, throughout thy life thou didst show mercy more perfectly than ever will be shown on earth even by the greatest saints; it is what thou art constantly doing, because all creatures on this earth have experienced the help of thy mercy.

The sixth beatitude is "Blessed are the clean of heart." 0 what purity,

Queen of Virgins, in thy Heart inviolate, undefiled by any trace of sin, either original or actual, thy Heart filled to overflowing from the moment of the Immaculate Conception with a purity greater than that of all the angels and saints in heaven.

The seventh beatitude is "Blessed are the peacemakers." It is through thee, 0 Queen of Peace, that the God of peace and love was given to us, the God who brought peace from heaven to the world. I t is through thy help that the schisms and heresies which tear the holy robe of thy Divine Son arc crushed. It is because of thy powerful intercession that true peace is imparted to men of good will , given to those who willingly renounce their own desires and seek only the things of God.

The eighth beatitude is "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake." To know all the persecutions endured by the Mother of the Saviour, we would have to understand the innumerable and countless sufferings of her Well-beloved Son. Because of us, 0 incomparable Mother, thou and thy Dear Son Jesus Christ have become the target and butt of an infinity of insults, opprobrium, outrages, calumnies, scorn and unspeakable cruelties. Because of our great love for thee, we gladly embrace all the afflictions and persecutions that may ever beset us.

Infinite thanks to the Holy Ghost for having enshrined these beatitudes in thy pure heart. Let us ask the Holy Ghost, 0 sweet Virgin, to make us participants in thy grace, to teach us and give us the grace to find all our joy, our paradise, and our pleasure even as thou didst during life, that is, i n serving, glorifying and loving the divine majesty.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"0 Heart of Jesus and Mary, joy of our hearts." 0 Cor Jesu et Mariae, cordis nostri gaudium! 277-

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus'

For the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Of Jesus

The Vigil of the Feast

Dispositions for the Worthy Celebrations of This Feast

The First Disposition for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Of Jesus is a Burning Desire to Celebrate It Devoutly

THE adorable Heart of Jesus is the principle and source of His I ncarnation, Birth, Circumcision, Presentation in the Temple, and of all the other mysteries and states of His life, as well as of all His thoughts, words, deeds, and sufferings for our salvation. His Heart burning with (1). "Meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus" were first published in the twelfth book of The Admirable Heart of Mary. Like the "Meditations on The Holy Heart of Mary" they are divided into two series, one for the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the excellence of the Feast and our duties to the Sacred Heart, and the other for any occasion on the perfections of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Historically, these meditations are most important because they are the first ever written on the subject. They contain the substance of St. John Eudes's doctrine of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. cf. The Sacred Heart of Jesus (New York 1946), pp. 85-135.

love prompted Him to perform all these things for us. Thus it is that we owe honor and love to this most amiable Heart for countless reasons, and to show our affection we must celebrate this Feast with all possible devotion.

Let us offer our hearts to the Holy Ghost, and earnestly beg Him to enkindle us with a burning desire to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart with as much devotion as though we were to celebrate it only once on earth. This great desire constitutes the first requisite in preparation for this solemn Feast.

The Second Disposition his Humility

The second disposition is one of deep humility. We must acknowledge our infinite unworthiness to participate in the celebration of such a holy solemnity:

1. Because it belongs to heaven rather than to earth, for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a feast of the Seraphim rather than of sinful men.

2. Because, through our negligence, God's blessings have not borne adequate fruit in our soul, although we have celebrated this Feast many times.

The divine Heart is the source of every grace that we have received from heaven throughout our lives; yet our ingratitude and infidelity have rendered these precious gifts fruitless and ineffectual.

May these thoughts inspire us to profound humility. Let us enter again and again into a true spirit of penance, which will prompt us to detest our sins, to excite genuine contrition in our souls, and to make a good confession to purify our hearts so that we may become worthy recipients of the light and grace necessary for a holy celebration of this Feast.

The Third Disposition is Union with the Three

Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity, the

Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and the Saints

To excite the third disposition, we must offer ourselves to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to all the angels and saints! especially to our guardian angels and our patron saints. We must implore them to prepare our hearts and to invite the heavenly court to celebrate this Feast with us. Let us ask them to make us associates and participants in their ardent love for the most adorable Heart of Jesus.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"Thanks be to Thee, Lord Jesus, for the ineffable gift of Thy Sacred Heart." Gratias tibi, Domine Jesu, super inenarrabili dono Cordis tui. 282-

The Day of the Feast

The Gift of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

JESUS HAS GIVEN Us HIS SACRED HEART

ADORE and consider our most lovable Saviour in the excess of His goodness and in the generosity of His love towards us. Consider attentively His boundless beneficence. He has given us life and all the benefits that spring from the gift of life. He has given us His Eternal Father to be Our True Father, His most holy Mother to be our dear Mother, His angels to be our protectors and His saints to be our advocates and intercessors. He has given us His Church, our second Mother, together with all the sacraments of His Church for our salvation and sanctification. He has given us all His thoughts, words, actions and mysteries, all His sufferings and His very life which He spent and sacrificed for us, even to the last drop of His Precious Blood.

Moreover, He has given us His most lovable Heart, the principle and source of all other gifts. The charity of His divine Heart impelled Him to emanate from the adorable bosom of His Father, and come upon earth so that He might give us all these priceless favors. This Heart, humanly divine and divinely human, merited these graces by His sufferings, endured for us on earth.

We Should Give Our Hearts to Jesus

How shall we repay our loving Redeemer for so much love? We must render love for love. I n return for the gift of His Sacred Heart, we must give Him our hearts without reserve. To return Our Lord

love for love, we must offer our love wholly and completely to Him. He has given us His Heart for all eternity; we must give Him ours forever. He has given us His Heart with infinite love; let us give Him ours in union with His infinite love. He is not satisfied with giving us His own Heart, He has also given us the Heart of His Eternal Father, the Heart of His most holy Mother and the hearts of an His angels and saints. He even gives the hearts of all mankind who are commanded under pain of eternal damnation to love us as He has loved us: "This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15, 12).

Let us also offer Him in thanksgiving the Heart of His Eternal Father, the Heart of His holy Mother, the hearts of all the angels and saints and of all men; these are ours to give as though they belonged to us. St. Paul assures us that with the gift of His Son the Eternal Father has given us all things: "Hath he not also, with him, given us all things?" (Rom. 8, 32), and that all things arc ours: "For all are yours" (I Cor. 3, 22). Above all, let us offer Him His own Heart; He has given it to us; therefore, it is ours and is the most acceptable offering we could make to Him. It is His own Heart and at the same time the Heart of His Eternal Father, one by unity of essence. it is also the Heart of His most Holy Mother, whose heart is one with His by unity of will and affection.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"Let us give thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for His ineffable gifts." Gratias infinitas super inenarrabilibus donis ejus.

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The Gift of This Feast Is a Great

Favor Bestowed by Our Lord

Excellence of the Feast of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus

LET us adore the incomprehensible goodness of our most loving Redeemer in giving us this holy Feast. It is, indeed, most extraordinary grace.

To understand it at all adequately, we must remember that the feasts celebrated by Holy Church during the course of the year are fountains of sanctification and blessings, but this Feast is a veritable sea of grace and holiness. The Feast of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus constitutes an immense ocean of feasts because it commemorates the principle of all the other feasts celebrated by Holy Church. It also is the festival of the prime source of everything that is great, holy and venerable in each of the other feasts.

It is our duty, then, to render infinite thanks to our Saviour for His goodness, and to invite the Blessed Virgin, all the angels and saints and all creatures to unite with us to praise~ bless and glorify Him for this ineffable favor.

We should also dispose our souls to receive the graces Our Divine Lord wills to communicate to us during the solemnity of this wonderful Feast. We must make a strong resolution to do everything in our power and to employ all our affections and every means possible to continue to celebrate i t appropriately and devoutly during the Octave.