Virgo Potens

CONSECRATION of the UNITED STATES to the SACRED HEART of JESUS WATCH CONSECRATION MASSES ON EWTN • June 11, 4 p.m. ET, live, from the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, in Orlando; reairs 11 p.m. ET. • June 12, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart: 1  6:30 p.m. ET, Mass of Enthronement of the Sacred Heart & Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin 2 9:30 p.m. ET, from Mary’s Shrine in Washington 

2 of 2 The Dignity of the Sacred Heart 2. The Sacred Heart is also bound up in the closest union with the Divine nature of Jesus Christ. It is endowed with divine qualities which flow into it from the Godhead. It has authority without limit over the hearts of men. They are all its subjects whom it has the right to command. It has in itself the power of working miracles. It loves God as only those can love Him who see Him face to face. 3. In the Sacred Heart of Jesus are centred all the supernatural powers which the nature of man is capable of possessing. The Sacred Heart of Jesus shares the Divine prerogative of unbounded mercy. As from the sun flow light and heat, so from the Heart of Jesus flow all possible supernatural graces. What glory, then, of saint or angel can be compared to one ray of glory from the Sacred Heart? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ The Dignity of the Sacred Heart 1. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, though it is a true human heart, yet it is not the heart of any human person. His human nature subsists in His Divine personality. Hence His Sacred Heart has the dignity which belongs, in virtue of His Divine nature, to the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. It is, so to speak, absorbed in the glory of the Divinity, though without losing its character of a true human heart, just as a piece of iron does not cease to be iron because it glows with the heat of the fire into which it is plunged. Rejoice in the glory of the Sacred Heart, and adore the Divinity which dwells there. (continued)

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 11th Examen on Humility Towards our Neighbour ACCORDING to the doctrine of Saint Thomas [2a 2æ, qu. clxi, art. 3] the first act of humility consists in subjecting ourselves to God, and the next is to subject–—that is to say to humble–—ourselves to our neighbour for the love of God; as the Holy Ghost says through St. Peter: “Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God’s sake”; [1 Peter ii, 13] and the same Holy Spirit exhorts us through St. Paul to excel each other in humility. “In humility let each esteem others better than themselves.” [Phil. ii, 3]”p ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

✧❀❀✧❀✧❀❀✧❀✧❀❀✧ Thus ends: Veni Sancte Sptritus, Short Meditations from the Ascension to the Octave of Corpus Christi ✧❀❀✧❀✧❀❀✧❀✧❀❀✧

2 of 2 ~ 29.— Octave of Corpus Christi 2. The Blessed Eucharist is also primarily and above all a fount of love within us. As oil nourishes fire, so does holy Communion nourish our love to God. As fire without fuel soon becomes faint and dim, so our love cannot remain bright and strong unless its flame is fed with the fuel of the body and blood of Christ Our Lord. As He Himself says: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you." 3. The Blessed Eucharist is also a fount of love to man. Whence do the saints derive their supernatural charity, if not from holy Communion? What else made them patient, meek, forbearing, loving, kind, self-sacrificing? Was it not Jesus, Who comes to dwell with them, and Who gave them the commandment that they should do for others what He had done for them? Do I derive from holy Communion this all-embracing charity ? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS June 11th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 29.— Octave of Corpus Christi The Chief Ends of Holy Communion 1. The Blessed Eucharist is above all the sacrament of love. It is not only the abiding proof of Our Lord's incredible love for us, but the chief means by which we are enabled to do something to return love for love. In it we can show our love to God by offering to Him a sacrifice which is far more pleasing to Him than all the sacrifices which the whole of mankind can offer—the sacrifice of His divine Son. This we can do each time we hear Mass. This we can do still more when we receive holy Communion and offer ourselves to Christ, Who is our guest, as a mark of our love to God. (continued)

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Apostles 2. We observe, too, Our Lord's exceeding patience with the apostles. They were selfish, narrow, perverse, incredulous. Yet, how He forbore with them! With what unspeakable gentleness He put up with all their faults! Never a harsh word or angry look. I must try to copy the Sacred Heart in this when others try my temper by their perverseness or their dulness. I must be gentle with them for Jesus' sake. 3. The apostles enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being for three years the constant companions of Jesus. Yet at the Last Supper He speaks as if He were indebted to them for their society. "You are they who have continued with Me in My temptations, and I dispose to you, as My Father hath disposed to Me, a kingdom." So Christ Our Lord will one day thank us for our poor services, and treat us as if He were indebted to us. Christ my debtor for His love to me! Yet it is a fact of the Divine love. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Apostles 2. We observe, too, Our Lord's exceeding patience with the apostles. They were selfish, narrow, perverse, incredulous. Yet, how He forbore with them! With what unspeakable gentleness He put up with all their faults! Never a harsh word or angry look. I must try to copy the Sacred Heart in this when others try my temper by their perverseness or their dulness. I must be gentle with them for Jesus' sake. 3. The apostles enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being for three years the constant companions of Jesus. Yet at the Last Supper He speaks as if He were indebted to them for their society. "You are they who have continued with Me in My temptations, and I dispose to you, as My Father hath disposed to Me, a kingdom." So Christ Our Lord will one day thank us for our poor services, and treat us as if He were indebted to us. Christ my debtor fo rHis love to me! Yet it is a fact of the Divine love. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Apostles 2. We observe, too, Our Lord's exceeding patience with the apostles. They were selfish, narrow, perverse, incredulous. Yet, how He forbore with them! With what unspeakable gentleness He put up with all their faults! Never a harsh word or angry look. I must try to copy the Sacred Heart in this when others try my temper by their perverseness or their dulness. I must be gentle with them for Jesus' sake. 3. The apostles enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being for three years the constant companions of Jesus. Yet at the Last Supper He speaks as if He were indebted to them for their society. "You are they who have continued with Me in My temptations, and I dispose to you, as My Father hath disposed to Me, a kingdom." So Christ Our Lord will one day thank us for our poor services, and treat us as if He were indebted to us. Christ my debtor fo rHis love to me! Yet it is a fact of the Divine love. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Apostles 1. If Our Blessed Lord poured forth the treasures of His Sacred Heart upon all among whom He dwelt, His twelve apostles received a share corresponding to the place of privilege that they occupied. In the prayer He offered to His Eternal Father before His Passion they occupy a special place. "Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given Me; that they may be one, as We also are." The Sacred Heart yearned over them. I, too, am bound to Christ by the wonderful graces He has given me. He means me, too, in my sphere to be an apostle of His Sacred Heart. What a happiness for me, and what a claim on His love. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 10th How do you practice it? How fervently do you ask God for it? Do you hold it to be of precept, or only of counsel which you are at liberty to choose or reject at will? The entrance to Paradise is not only narrow but low, therefore Jesus Christ said: “Unless you become as little children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” [Matt. xviii, 3] And into this kingdom he alone can enter who “shall humble himself.” [Ibid. xviii, 4] There is always danger on the journey towards our heavenly home for those who hold their heads high, and it is safer to keep them bowed low. This is a general rule for all. St. John of Chrysostom warns us: “When our Lord said, ‘Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart,’ it was not merely to monks that He spoke, but to all classes of men.” [Lib. 3] Humility of heart was not commanded by Jesus Christ only to religious, but also to seculars whoever they may be and without any exception. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 10th 118. If you have a sincere wish to save your soul, you must take those means which God has ordained for you, and the principal and most essential one is humility, as is shown in holy Scripture: “For Thou wilt save the humble people.” [Ps. xxxiii, 10] “And He will save the humble of spirit.” [Ps. xvii, 28] “Glory shall uphold the humble of spirit.” [Prov. xxix, 23] And how do you esteem this humility? (continued)

DAILY ACT OF OBLATION O LORD JESUS CHRIST, in union with that divine intention with which Thou didst on earth offer praises to GOD through thy Sacred Heart, and now dost continue to offer them in all places in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and wilt do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer Thee, throughout this entire day without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, that they may be conformed to the most sacred heart of the blessed Virgin Mary ever Immaculate. Amen. 100 Days, once a day. Leo XIII, December 19, 1885. ~ The Raccolta (1910)

2 of 2 ~ 28.— Wendesday within the Octave of Corpus Christi 2. It also allays concupiscence. It is the great remedy against luxury and impurity. It takes away the overwhelming force with which the allurements of the flesh attack us, and gives us power to resist them, however violent they may be. Frequent Communion is sometimes the only means of saving a man from falling into grievous sin. Thank God forgiving us so effective a means of keeping faithful to Him. 3. It also curbs and checks the assaults of the devil. Those who commit sin at other times are often entirely free from his attacks on the day when they receive holy Communion. Sometimes, indeed, the day of Communion brings with it stronger temptations; but when this is so, grace enough, and more than enough, is given to insure a complete victory. Trust, then, in holy Communion with implicit confidence, and you will never have any grievous falls, if you are vigilant and do your part. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS June 10th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 28.— Wednesday within the Octave of Corpus Christi The Effects of Holy Communion The Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is not only a remedy for sin in the past, but also a preventive of sin in the future. 1. It gives strength against temptation. It is essentially the food of the strong; the food that imparts strength even to the weakest. We need not be discouraged by our own weakness while we have such a resource as this. It will enable us to overcome every possible temptation. God puts a weapon into our hands with which we must needs conquer. Do I make use of it as I ought? (continued)

A SPIRITUAL LIFE [A] Spiritual Life. . . properly consists in knowing the infinite greatness and goodness of God, joined to a true sense of our own wretchedness and proclivity to evil; in loving God, and hating ourselves; in humbling ourselves not only before Him, but, for His sake, before all men; in renouncing entirely our own will In order to follow His; and, to crown the work, in doing all this for the sole glory of His holy name, with no other view than to please Him, on no other motive than that He ought to be loved and served by all His creatures. ~ Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, The Spiritual Combat (1801)

✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧ Heart of Jesus, reign for ever in my heart, and grant me the grace to reign one day with Thee in Heaven. ✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart during Our Lord's Public Life 2. What was the secret of this attractiveness? It was not His Divine beauty, or His eloquence, or His majesty of mien. It was His overflowing, unbounded love, manifesting itself in every word. All who listened to Him could not help saying, "He loves me fondly, tenderly, and the one desire of His Heart is to lead me to better things, to save me from my miseries. It is just the same now. His Sacred Heart still yearns over me, and desires to raise me to better things. 3. Yet He was not attractive to all. Some He repelled; they were ill at ease in His presence and longed to get rid of Him. They had a positive aversion for Him and were afraid of Him. Who were these ? They were the men of bad will. The self-sufficient, the self-willed, the lovers of sin. There is nothing that so destroys the attractiveness of Jesus as any sin loved and indulged. Is there any such in me? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)