Devotion to the Sacred Heart (part 5)

   

                       Proper Sentiments and Motives for Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.

In "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart," by Fr. John Croiset, SJ, which was commissioned by Our Lord Himself, through St. Margaret Mary, Fr. Croiset tells us that the obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus may be reduced to four: "great tepidity in the service of God, self-love, secret pride, and certain passions which people have not taken care to mortify from the beginning of their conversion."

We have also seen that, according to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification and the second is humility, which we discussed here and here. 

We also saw here the seven means suggested by Fr. Croiset for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart. 

Now we will turn to what Fr. Croiset calls "The Practice of This Devotion."   We will begin by considering the motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.  Fr. Croiset tells us our motive should be:

"to make reparation, as far as is in our power, by our love and adoration and by every kind of homage, for all the indignities and outrages which Jesus Christ has suffered in the course of the ages and which He still suffers daily at the hands of wicked men in the Blessed Eucharist.  It is with this spirit and these sentiment that we should perform the practices which are here proposed."