Virgo Potens

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ The Sacred Heart during Our Lord's Public Life 1. In the public ministry of Our Lord the wonderful attractiveness of the Sacred Heart cannot fail to strike even the surface reader of the Gospels. He drew all men to Him and made them forget all else. A crowd of seven thousand followed Him into the desert, and preferred to faint with hunger rather than leave Him. A woman, who was a sinner, braved the taunts and jeers of the guests at a banquet to throw herself at His feet. For those who have good-will Jesus has the same attractiveness now. I may test my good-will by seeing whether I am drawn to Him. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 9th You are indocile, and you do not know how to submit to that which your directors tell you to do; and St. Thomas teaches that this is an effect of pride, “because docility is the beautiful daughter of humility and disposes the soul to obedience.” [2a 2æ, qu. xlviii; et qu. xlix, art. 3 ad 4] How is it when we read the lives of the Saints we do not find that they were agitated by these scruples? The Saints were humble, and where humility is there also is tranquillity of mind. We know that many scrupulous persons have been cured of their scruples, which were considered almost incurable, by no other means than by saying to God with their whole heart: “I accuse myself of pride; I am sorry for my pride, and I ask Your help in order to amend my great pride.” But if you find that you are scrupulous less from indocility than from cowardice, go for advice once more to St. Thomas, who teaches that this cowardice also comes from pride, because in judging one’s own sufficiency we set our own judgment in opposition to that of others. [2a 2æ, qu. cxxxiii. art. 1] Do you wish to enjoy the peace of a quiet conscience, and also of certain spiritual consolations which are a great help in aiding you to do willing all that is necessary to lead a devout life and to be ever more fervent in the service of God? I cannot give you better advice than this: Give yourself to humility, and God will fill your soul with ineffable consolation. “And my spirit hath rejoiced,” says the Blessed Virgin in her canticle; and she adds, for your instruction, that this exultation was sent to her by God because of her humility: “Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid.” [Luke 1, 48] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

“Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid.” [Luke 1, 48] Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 9th 117. Have you perhaps a conscience which is timorous by reason of many scruples? If such be the case, examine yourself, and you will probably find that the true reason of your scruples lies in your self-love, that is, in your pride. (continued)

✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧ Heart of Jesus, consumed with zeal for the glory of the Father, enkindle in my heart an ardent zeal for Thy glory and my own sanctification. ✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧

2 of 2 ~ 27.— Tuesday within the Octave of Corpus Christi 2. Moreover, whenever we receive Holy Communion in good dispositions, the mere fact of worthy reception has the same effect. Even if anything hindered us from acts of love and contrition, the fact of the presence of Our Lord cancels sin, and helps to remove the obstacle that it places in the way of our love for God. What a reason this is for frequent Communion! 3. In both these ways, by the mere fact of reception and the acts of contrition and love which it engenders in us, holy Communion also takes away the temporal punishment of sin, and shortens the time of our purgatory. Each good Communion of itself blots out some of the penalty still due to God's justice. How wonderful are the effects of holyCommunion! How grateful we should be for it! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS June 9th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 27.— Tuesday within the Octave of Corpus Christi Sin blotted out by the Blessed Sacrament What is it that hinders our happiness and our union with God? Naught else but sin. If sin could be taken away, all misery would disappear with it. If Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament desires to make us happy, it follows that our past sins are thereby blotted out, and the power of sin weakened or destroyed. How does it do this? 1. It excites in us acts of contrition and love, and each such act helps to cleanse our souls from sin. A perfect act of love is incompatible with any deliberate attachment even to any venial sin, and every act of love diminishes the attachment and washes away the guilt. Hence remember to make many acts of contrition and of love in [the] presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and whenever you receive holy Communion. (continued)

✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧ Heart of Jesus, infinitely pure and without stain, give me an inviolable purity of body, mind, and heart. ✧✿───✧✧✿✧✧───✿✧

A MESSAGE from the SACRED HEART Hymn A message from the Sacred Heart; What may its message be? "My child, my child, give Me thy heart My Heart has bled for thee." This is the message Jesus sends To my poor heart today, And eager from His Throne He bends To hear what I shall say. A message to the Sacred Heart; Oh, bear it back with speed; "Come, Jesus, reign within my heart Thy Heart is all I need." Thus, Lord, I'll pray until I share That home whose joy Thou art; No message, dearest Jesus, there, For heart will speak to heart. ~ Fr. Matthew Russell (1834 - 1912) The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book (1920)

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart at Nazareth 2. Look at the humble workshop attached to the cottage at Nazareth, and see Jesus in His early youth, working under Joseph's direction. He is just at the age when boys begin to assert their liberty and independence, and who had more right to libertyand independence than the King of heaven and earth? Yet Jesus is subject to Joseph with blind obedience. His Heart is in love with subjection; it is a joy to the Creator to obey one of His creatures. Shall we not love subjection after such an example? 3. Look once again at Jesus amid the children of His own age. Sometimes He is talking to them, and they listen, spell-bound, to the words of the carpenter's Son. Sometimes He is taking the lead in their innocent games. But most often He is consoling them in trouble, encouraging the down-hearted. How unselfish even in childhood! how kind, how thoughtful! Oh that I were more like Him in this! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ The Sacred Heart at Nazareth 1. Look into the little cottage at Nazareth, andd behold the fairest of all the children of men nestling on His holy Mother's breast. How those two hearts beat in perfect unison! Mary's Immaculate Heart receiving from the Heart of Jesus a stream of grace that flowed on continually without let or obstacle. Jesus, in turn, rejoicing with unspeakable joy at the only heart that satisfied His longings and fulfilled His hopes. Oh that my heart were, in this, more like Mary's! (continued)

Sayings of the Saints “Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.” ~ St. Bede St. Bede, pray for us.

2 of 2 Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 8th And granted that in doing good you do not seek the esteem of men, do you sometimes do this in order not to lose the good graces and favours of others, conforming to their spirit, which is to live according to the usage of the world in the forgetfulness of God? This is also loving the glory of the world more than the glory of God, and is a fault which is greatly opposed to humility, and which was condemned in those chief men among the Jews who believed in Christ, but from fear of the Pharisees and out of respect to their opinion did not dare to confess Him, “for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.” [John xii, 43] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Do nothing through human respect . . . Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ June 8th [116.] Nothing is so contrary to true humility as to seek one’s own esteem in the exercise of good works. Do you sometimes do good from motives of human respect, in order to be seen–—esteemed? “Take heed,” Christ says to you, “that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them.” [Matt. vi, 1] You are merely robbing God of glory, when from the gifts He has given you, you reserve some of the glory for yourself. Examine your intentions; are they purely directed to the glorification of God? (continued)

2 of 2 Litany of Humility From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus. That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. ~ Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)

Litany of Humility O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus. (continued)

Litany of Humility O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus. (continued)

2 of 2 ~ 26.— Monday within the Octave of Corpus Christi 2. But how does the Blessed Sacrament promote our happiness? It is the means appointed by Almighty God to increase in us continually that sanctifying grace on which our happiness in heaven depends. Each time we receive holy Communion in good dispositions, this wondrous channel of grace pours fresh grace into our hearts, makes us more beautiful in God's sight, more fit for the company of the angels and saints in heaven. How greatly, then, ought I to value holy Communion! 3. The Blessed Sacrament does more than this. It also of itself obtains for us actual graces. Those who often receive holy Communion have more inspirations from Almighty God, and more help to avail themselves of them. Each such inspiration, if accepted, will add to our happiness both here and in heaven to all eternity. Especially after receiving it, God gives actual graces that He does not give at other times, and inspirations enabling us to know and do His will. While Jesus is our guest, present within us, He cannot refuse to give us all we ask. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Paradis de la Terre ~ L’Ange et l’Ame Paradise of the Earth ~ The Angel and The Soul VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS June 8th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 26.— Monday within the Octave of Corpus Christi Grace increased by the Blessed Sacrament 1. Our Lord's desire to be with us and to unite us to Himself cannot be for His own sake. It is simply in order to promote our happiness that He has instituted the Blessed Sacrament. He loves to see His children happy, and His one object in the sacrament of His love is that He may have the happiness of seeing us happy. It was for this that He instituted the Blessed Eucharist; it is for this that He continues to abide in the tabernacle and to give Himself to us. What greater proof can He give us than this of His devoted love and unselfish generosity? (continued)

Paradis de la Terre ~ L’Ange et l’Ame Paradise on Earth ~ The Angel and the Soul VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS June 8th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 26.— Monday within the Octave of Corpus Christi Grace increased by the Blessed Sacrament 1. Our Lord's desire to be with us and to unite us to Himself cannot be for His own sake. It is simply in order to promote our happiness that He has instituted the Blessed Sacrament. He loves to see His children happy, and His one object in the sacrament of His love is that He may have the happiness of seeing us happy. It was for this that He instituted the Blessed Eucharist; it is for this that He continues to abide in the tabernacle and to give Himself to us. What greater proof can He give us than this of His devoted love and unselfish generosity? (continued)

2 of 2 The Sacred Heart at Bethlehem 2. While the Sacred Heart is grieved by the ingratitude and discourtesy of the inhabitants of Bethlehem, He is grieved, too, by the thought of the misery which is to come upon them when Herod murders all the children in Bethlehem and the country around, and He destines for them a rich reward. So now He grieves with every bereaved mother, with every suffering child, and delights to carry the little ones in His arms to heaven. 3. In the stable Christ is born, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus becomes the centre of worship for the faithful souls who gather round the manger. The shepherds come to adore the new-born Infant : His Heart rejoices in their simplicity. The Magi come from afar with their triple offerings, and He blesses them and raises them to a higher than earthly royalty. Above all, Joseph and Mary kneel before their Son and their God. His Heart basks in their burning love. I will fancy myself kneeling there and offering myself to Jesus. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)