Means for surmounting obstacles to Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we will be 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."

According to Fr. Croiset, there are two principal means of overcoming these obstacles.  The first is true mortification.  Of mortification, Fr. Croiset writes:

"Mortification is a necessary disposition for the true love of Jesus Christ; this was the  first lesson that Jesus Christ Himself gave those who wished to be His disciples; without mortification no one can expect to be a true follower of Him.  "If any man," says He, "will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Lk. 9:23).  And again He says: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren, and sister, h, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Lk. 14:26)  Accordingly, all the saints had this distinguishing mark of perfect mortification.  When people praised the virtue of anyone in the presence of St. Ignatius, he would ask:  "Is that person truly mortified?"  By that he wished to intimate that true mortification is inseparable from true piety, not only because virtue cannot exist long without general and constant mortification, but also because without mortification there can be no true virtue."