Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Old Feast of the Immaculate Heart

Formerly, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Our Blessed Lady was observed on August 22nd. Now, it is properly celebrated, in both Novus Ordo and Tridentine Rites on the Saturday immediately following the Feast of the Sacred Heart, uniting the Two Hearts' feast days in one of the most appropriate ordo reforms after Vatican II.

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of thy Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to thee, all the people of our country and all the world.

Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as thou wishest to accomplish thy designs in the world.

O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.

We come with confidence to thee, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed thine own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes thy shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with thy rule, triumph in every heart and home.

Amen.

--Venerable Pope Pius XII

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Saint John Eudes

August 19th is the feast of St. John, or Jean, Eudes, one of the earliest promoters of devotion to both the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, and the Immaculate Heart of Our Blessed Lady, as well as devotion to the Two Hearts.

St. John wrote both an Office of the Sacred Heart, and a Mass of the Sacred Heart.

The Collect from that Mass is here:

Father of mercies and God of all consolation, Thou gavest to us the loving Heart of Thine own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which Thou hast loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render Thee a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity: each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus....and may the rightful yearnings of our hearts find fulfillment through Him: Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.


A short biography from the Catholic Encyclopedia is here. Note that Saint John was canonized in 1925, after publication of the Catholicy Encyclopedia, which refers to him as "Blessed."

His books on the Two Hearts are ground-breaking in fostering this devotion. The Admirable Heart of Mary the Mother of God I have been serializing here (and temporarily stopped due to temporary unavailability of the book). He completed the book just a month before his death. His earlier work, The Devotion To the Sacred Heart of Jesus is equally hailed by the faithful.

He is the founder of the Eudist Fathers. They are more formally known as the Society of Jesus and Mary.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

First Saturday


Taken from the book:

More About Fatima and the Immaculate Heart of Mary REV. FR. V. MONTES DE OCA, C.S.Sp.

CHAPTER IX The Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Children's Comments:

Lucy relates that on June 13th, 1917, after speaking at length about her Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Fatima again stretched forth her hands, throwing on the children the rays of that immense light in which they saw themselves as if immersed in God . . . The Blessed Virgin held in her right hand a Heart surrounded by thorns, which pierced it from all sides. The seers understood that it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, afflicted by all the sins of the world, which demanded penance and reparation. "It seems to me," said Lucy, "that on that day, the purpose of the light was to pour into us a special knowledge and love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as on other occasions it infused into us the knowledge and love of God, and the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. From that day, indeed, we experienced a more ardent love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary." Francis had observed that this supernatural light, that the Blessed Virgin threw on them and on the world, seemed to come from her Heart. He afterwards asked Lucy: "Why did the Blessed Virgin hold a Heart in her hand throwing on the earth this great light which is God? You were with the Blessed Virgin in the light that went down to the earth, while Jacinta and I were in that which went up to heaven!" "It is because you and Jacinta will soon go to heaven", said Lucy, "while I shall remain some time longer on earth with the Immaculate Heart of Mary." "Is it the Blessed Virgin who explained to you the meaning of the two beams of light?" "No, I saw it in the light that she put into our breasts." "That is right," interposed Jacinta, who followed the conversation, "I saw it also." Jacinta seems to have received "a special light to understand intimately and in detail the meanings of these heavenly revelations." Before leaving for the hospital in 1919, she said to Lucy: "I am going soon to heaven. You will remain still on earth to make known to men that the Lord wishes to spread in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When you have to speak about it, you will no longer have to hide yourself! Proclaim openly to the whole world that: "It is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that God wishes to grant us His graces!" "It is from this Immaculate Heart that we must ask for them!" "The Heart of Jesus wishes the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated with His own!" "It is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that peace must be asked, because it is to that Heart that the Lord has confided it." "How I love the Immaculate Heart of Mary! It is the Heart of Our Heavenly Mother!" "Oh! if only I could put into all hearts the fire I feel in my own, which makes me love the Hearts of Jesus and Mary so much!" Besides, the best commentary on the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is that left us by the children in the admirable example of their lives. After the revelations, indeed they were true models of devotion and reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They loved this Immaculate Heart ardently, they invoked it constantly, they spoke about it enthusiastically, and they multiplied sacrifices to console it and to make reparation for all the blasphemies and offences that cause it to suffer.Practices of Devotion to the Immaculate Heart We have already spoken of penance and the daily Rosary so much recommended by Our Lady of Fatima. We give now the three principal practices of devotion for which she has asked in honour of her Immaculate Heart; the First Saturday of the month, the Five First Saturdays and the Consecration. They bear a marked similarity to the practices now so widespread in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 1. The practice of the First Saturdays consists of the following exercises, performed with the intention of consoling the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and making reparation to it for all the outrages and blasphemies of which it is the object on the part of ungrateful Christians: 1, the Rosary; 2, Communion of Reparation. 2. For the practice of the Five First Saturdays. In addition to the two exercises already mentioned, the following two are added on the first Saturday of five consecutive months: 3, go to confession; 4. keep the company of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by meditating for a quarter of an hour on the mysteries of the Rosary. These two must be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart. .The meditation may be on one or several mysteries. 3. Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As is known, Our Lady asked that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart and Lucia, the surviving seer has explained that She wants the Pope and all the bishops of the world to do this on one special day. If this is done She will convert Russia and there will be peace. . .