First Fridays and the Sacred Heart

I confess there was a time when devotion to the Sacred Heart was mainly a source of embarrassment to me.  I associated devotion to the Sacred Heart with florid holy picture cards, examples of which (like the one above), could be found in every Catholic home and even most Catholic automobiles when I was a wee laddie.  These cards reflected the seemingly unsophisticated, mechanical and somewhat musty piety which, in those heady Vatican II days, the more advanced type of Catholic was abandoning in favor of fuller engagement with the wondrous Modern World.  For fifty years the Church has pursued post-Vatican II style engagement with the Modern World, while largely disengaging itself from traditional devotions such as the Sacred Heart.   Florid holy picture cards, rarely seen now in Catholic homes, are instead ironic kitsch items.  Having observed that the fruits of this program are meager, to put it mildly, it occurs to me that perhaps the time has come to reconsider the value of those discarded devotions   Even a cursory examination of devotion to the Sacred Heart will reveal the power and value of this devotion to be very great indeed.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was propagated chiefly under the influence of a movement begun by the celebrated visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 17th century France.   However, devotion to the Sacred Heart is much more ancient than this, and moreover does not depend upon the authenticity of St. Margaret Mary's visions.   We have posted about devotion to the Sacred Heart many times , noting its great richness (see also here) and beauty, and examining how the Jesuits, though once the great apostles of this devotion, (see also here), have since 1975 largely abandoned devotion to the Sacred Heart.  The consequent collapse in Jesuit vocations is perhaps not a coincidence.
  
In the course of his apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Our Lord revealed the form and features of the devotion to the Sacred Heart.  In the twelfth apparition, Our Lord made the following promise:

"[M]y all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour."


As today is the first Friday of January, this is an excellent occasion to begin performing the conditions required to take advantage of Our Lord's promise.  It certainly can't hurt, and maybe it will lead to the image of the Sacred Heart again being a common item in Catholic homes.  Perhaps, in the interest of engagement with the modern world, this time the images will be more tasteful and less florid.    

Fr. John Croiset, SJ and Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Fr. John Croiset, SJ was spiritual director to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the great apostle and visionary of devotion to the Sacred Heart.   St. Margaret Mary told Fr. Croiset that it was Jesus's ardent wish that he assist her in making devotion to the Sacred Heart, until then a private devotion of chosen souls, generally known to all of the faithful.  After St. Margaret Mary's death, Fr. Croiset duly compiled an account of her revelations concerning the Sacred Heart, together with her prayers concerning this devotion, into a volume entitled The Devotion to the Sacred Heart which was  published in 1691 AD.  In 1704, due to Fr. Croiset's failure to observe certain formalities, the book was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books, where it remained for two centuries.    During this time Fr. Croiset's book was nearly forgotten.  However, a certain bishop, wishing to call attention to devotion to the Sacred Heart within his diocese, came upon the text, and finding that it had been placed upon the Index, called for the Sacred Congregation of the Index to re-examine the book.  The Sacred Congregation determined that no error could be found in the work, and so it was at last removed from the Index.   The following is taken from a meditation for the Feast of the Sacred Heart found it Fr. Croiset's "The Devotion to the Sacred Heart:"

The ardent desire of Jesus Christ to unite Himself to us.

Consider that union of hearts is the ultimate effect towards which love tends.  This union of hearts was the object which Jesus Christ had in mind when he instituted the Eucharist.  In this adorable Mystery, He acts like one passionately inflamed with love for men, since in It love makes Him in a manner go out of Himself in order to live only in the object of His love.  "At this holy Table," said St. Augustine, "Christ has consecrated the Mystery of union with us. . . ."
"I will love Thee, O most Sacred Heart of Jesus that was wounded for me, wounded on the Cross for my sins, wounded in the Blessed Sacrament with love for me.  I will honor Thee for the rest of my life, I will consecrate Thee the days that remain; Thou shalt be my place of repose, my dwelling place and my place of refuge.  "This is my place of rest, here will I dwell."

Love of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"St. Margaret Mary Contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus," Giaquinto

The Church traditionally devotes the month of June to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The following is taken from "A Prayer of Love to the Sacred Heart" composed by the great visionary and apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 AD - 1690 AD):

"O Heart of Jesus all inflamed with love and living by love, O Sanctuary of the Divinity, Temple of His Sovereign Majesty, Altar of Divine Charity, O Heart burning with love for God and for me, I adore Thee, I love Thee, I melt with love and reverence before Thee!  I unite myself with Thy holy dispositions, I desire most earnestly to burn with Thy fire and to live by Thy life.  .  .  .
O Divine heart, I unite myself with Thee, and lose myself in Thee.  I do not wish to live any longer but in Thee, by Thee and for Thee."

Hail, Saintly Priest, Preacher and Founder of Religious Congregations

Today we celebrate the feast of St. John Eudes ( 1601 AD - 1680 AD).   St. John was born in Normandy, and spent much of his life there.  He was a brilliant student, and although educated by Jesuits, entered the Oratory.   St. John was an early exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, composing the Mass and office for the feast of the Sacred Heart and for the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  He also authored the first book on the subject of these devotions.  He founded the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, for the care of women living disordered lives, and the Society of Jesus and Mary, for the education of priests.  St. John is considered the greatest preacher seen in France since St. Vincent Ferrer, and during his long priestly career he preached more than 100 retreats.

St. John Eudes, great teacher of devotion to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart, pray for us.

The Jesuits and the Tupac hermeneutic

Throughout June, we considered the connection between devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jesuits.  Although specially selected by Jesus Christ Himself to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart, and despite great success in gaining adherence to the devotion, the Jesuits determined in the late 20th century that devotion to the Sacred Heart was outmoded.   Thus, the Jesuits have largely abandoned their efforts to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart, and since 1974, the Jesuits have instead concentrated on working for social justice. 

To judge from the Jesuit magazine "America," the pursuit of social justice affords the Jesuits vast scope.  For instance, they are free to fantasize madly about the theological importance of Lady Gaga, as well as her untapped potential for achieving world peace (see here and here).   There is also plenty of time to consider the topic of sex workers and the Bible, which leads, when you click the link, to the Tupac hermeneutic.  

The author of the "sex workers and the Bible" post, Tom Beaudoin, is a professor in the theology department of Fordham University.  In addition to directing the Rock and Theology project, Professor Beaudoin has recently received a grant to "conduct a pilot study of "deconversion" among Catholics, and to begin to develop theological analyses of the reasons so many (even most) Catholics in the United States are marginally affiliated or non-affiliated with Catholicism as it is officially defined."   My own view is that not devoting enough attention to the Sacred Heart, and devoting too much to Lady Gaga and Tupac Shakur, may have something to do with Catholic "deconversion."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 11)

Let us consider what Fr. John Croiset tells us are the effects of the perfect love of Jesus.  The effects are many.  Let us look first at love of the poor:

"Among Christ's followers the poor stand in a special relation to Jesus Christ, they wear His livery; so when we assist them, it is Jesus Christ Himself that we assist in their person. It is, then, evident that charity towards the poor should be  an ordinary effect of true love for Jesus Christ.  This love for Jesus Christ should inspire us not only with compassion for the poor, it should inspire us also with love and respect for them; such love for Jesus Christ has induced even great kings to serve His poor with their own hands."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 10)

As June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  See a review of previous posts here.

Now we will consider what Fr. Croiset tells us regarding the "marks of perfect love of Jesus Christ and of true devotion to His Sacred Heart:"

"A person, then, who is solidly virtuous and who loves Jesus Christ perfectly is a man without self-love, without guile, without ambition; he is a man who is at all times severe on himself, granting himself no indulgence, but kind towards others and interpreting all that they do in a good sense.  He is honest without being affected, polite without being cowardly, obliging without seeking his own interest; he is extremely exact without being scrupulous, he keeps himself continually united to God without contention; he is never idle, yet never allows excessive eagerness to appear, he is never too much preoccupied or distracted with his occupations because he keeps his heart always free and is constantly concerned with the great affair of his life, his eternal salvation."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Part 9)

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

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. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

We have begun to look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  We have already considered daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.  We have also meditated upon the motives which Fr. Croiset says should urge us to visit the Blessed Sacrament.  Now we will consider practices recommended by Fr. Croiset for a daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

"Offer yourself to Jesus Christ to be united more closely to Him, asking Him to fill you with His spirit and His sentiments, and above all, ask Him to be permitted to enter His Sacred Heart never to leave It.  Then consider Jesus Christ as your Head, and yourself as one of His members, as one of His associates, one of His brethren to whom He has given over all His merits and bequeathed all the recompense due to Him from His Heavenly Father for His holy labors and death on the Cross.   It is in this capacity of associate of the Eternal Word, of one of His brethren, of His members, that we dare to appear before God with confidence, to speak to Him familiarly, and, in union with the Eternal Word, in a manner to oblige Him to give us a favorable hearing, to grant our requests and bestow on us His graces in virtue of this association, this union which we have with His Divine Son and, in particular, in virtue of the infinite value and dignity of the Victim which we offer to Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  Then finish the visit by a spiritual Communion, accompanied by a perfect consecration of all your affections and desires to the Sacred Heart."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart (Part 8)

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

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. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Now we will look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  We have already considered daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.  Now we will meditate upon the motives which Fr. Croiset says should urge us to visit the Blessed Sacrament.  Fr. Croiset writes:

"If we are sick, unhappy, or afflicted, let us have recourse to Jesus Christ, let us go to Him, who is our good Father, and tell Him of the misfortunes which have happened to us and of the evils which threaten us.  If we have some important decision to make, if we want to restore peace in some family, if we want to bring about the conversion of some person, if we are remiss in the service of God, inconstant, imperfect, let us run to Jesus Christ and ask him humbly and with respectul familiarity for the graces that we need, and above all let us ask with great confidence."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 7)

Since June is specially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we have been paying particular attention to this devotion throughout the month.  The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a moveable feast, and will actually take place this year  in July (July 1). 

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. 

In addition, we have considered here what Fr. Croiset tells us are proper motives and sentiments with which Devotion to the Sacred Heart ought to be practiced.   We also saw here how Our Lord chose the day for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Now we will look more deeply into Devotion to the Sacred Heart.  In particular, we will consider daily practices of Devotion to the Sacred Heart recommended by Fr. Croiset.

Practice of the Devotion for morning:

"In the morning on rising, after the example of many saints, we should prostrate ourselves in the direction of the nearest church where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, and thus prostrated make an act of Faith."

Practice of the Devotion while attending Mass:

"Above all, everyone should endeavor to bring home to himself that the Sacrifice of the Mass is the same as that of Calvary and should assist at it with the most profound respect and reverence, like people who believe that the Sacrifice of Calvary is here renewed."

Practice of the Devotion for afternoon:

"The afternoon is a most suitable time for visiting Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in order to honor His Sacred Heart by our love and homage.  As it is the time when people think least about Jesus Christ and when few people visit Him, those who visit Him at this time are sure of  being well received."

Practice of the Devotion for evening:

"St. Aloysius Gonzaga was accustomed before going to sleep to recite three Hail Marys, in order to put himself under the protection, and as it were, in the heart of the Blessed Virgin.  Then he made a profound bow in the direction of the church to adore the Blessed Sacrament, asking the Sacred Heart of Jesus to watch unceasingly over Holy Church, and especially over those who love Him tenderly, and begging to be preserved through His mercy from all the snares of the devil; protesting that it was in the Sacred Heart that he wished to take his rest and saying with the Psalmist: "In peace in the self same," that is, in the my supreme Good, "I will sleep and I will rest." (Ps 4:9)

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."

America magazine pins its hopes for world peace on Lady Gaga

                                      If she can't end war, who can?


Having discarded devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to concentrate on promoting social justice, the Jesuit editors of America magazine note with dissatisfaction that there continue to be wars in the world.  The editors find this incomprehensible, since they distinctly recall Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Art Garfunkel, and even Paul McCartney singing songs about ending war.  In near despair, America magazine now turns to (who else): Lady Gaga.

I kid you not.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jesuits (Part 6)

We have seen how the Jesuits, having been selected by Our Lord Himself to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, and after having dedicated themselves to this work with great success for almost three hundred years, have in recent decades largely dropped this mission, though without explanation (see here , here, here and here).

St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, was himself deeply devoted to the adoration of the Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist.  The following is taken from "The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist" by Fr. John Hardon, SJ (full text here):

"In 1540, a few weeks before the Institute of the Society of Jesus was formally approved by Paul III, [St. Ignatius Loyola] wrote to the citizens of his native town of Azpeitia, exhorting them to a greater devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. “I beg and entreat you,” he said, “by the love of God and by the respect which we owe Him, to apply yourselves to serve Our Lord Jesus Christ with all the fidelity of which you are capable, and to venerate His Divine Majesty with the deepest respect, above all in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, in which He is hidden in all the greatness of His divine and human natures, wherein He is present as entirely, as powerfully and as infinitely as He is in heaven.”'

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Part 4)

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."

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. 

Fr. Croiset suggests sevens means for acquiring perfect love of Jesus Christ and a tender devotion to His Sacred Heart.  These means are:

1) Prayer,
2) Frequent Holy Communion,
3) Visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
4) Fidelity in Acquitting Ourselves Exactly of the Practices of this Devotion,
5) A Tender Devotion to the Blessed Virgin,
6) Special Devotion to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, to St. Margaret Mary and to Blessed Claude de la Columbiere,
and
7) A day's retreat each month.

 Of prayer, Fr. Croiset writes the following:

"O my Saviour, Thou has said: "I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I, but that it be kindled?" (Lk. 12:49).  On whom does it depend that I be all inflamed by it?  O my Saviour, grant me Thy love, this will henceforth be my daily prayer.  I will make this prayer morning, noon and night, at rest and at work;  I will make it every hour, and I will never cease to say: "Give me Thy love, O Lord, and Thy grace and with these I am rich enough."

Of frequent Holy Communion, Fr. Croiset writes:

"Divine love has lit a great furnace on our altars in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist, and it is by approaching this Sacred Fire that all the saints have been inflamed by a most ardent and tender lover for Jesus Christ."

Of frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Croiset writes:

"there is nothing which gains the Heart of Jesus more than frequent visits and frequent acts of adoration in His presence."

Of fidelity to the practices of this Devotion, Fr. Croiset writes:

"This fidelity is usually what is most agreeable to God and most meritorious in these exercises of devotion, because it is always the surest mark of great love."

Of a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin, Fr. Croiset writes:

"She is the Mother of perfect love, and it is to her that we should address ourselves in order to be inflamed with that love."

The Sacred Heart and the Jesuits (cont.)

Twenty years after Arrupe, the Jesuits take stock.   The New England provincial offers a shocking critique here.  Sample: "too many of us do not pray daily, celebrate or attend Mass daily."   Sounds like they desperately need to restore devotion to the Sacred Heart.  Let's pray they recognize this before it's too late.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jesuits

                                              

The Strange Case of Pedro Arrupe, SJ

We have seen how the Jesuits, having been selected by Our Lord Himself to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, and after having dedicated themselves to this work with great success for almost three hundred years, have in recent decades largely dropped this mission, though without explanation (see here , here, and here).

A great shift in the mission of the Society of Jesus took place during the Generalship of Pedro Arrupe, (elected Superior General in 1965; resigned 1983).   For leading this re-direction of the Society, Arrupe is considered by many to be the "second founder" of the Jesuits.  In 1975, at the 32nd General Congregation of the Society, the decree establishing the Society's new focus, called "Our Mission Today: The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice" was issued.  According to this decree, the promotion of justice in the world was henceforth to be the central focus of the Society.  Needless to say, the decree "Our Mission Today" does not mention devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

The decree claims that "in one form or another, [the promotion of justice in the world] has always been the mission of the Society."  To support this claim, the decree makes a general citation to the Formula of the Institute of the Society of Jesus (approved by Pope Julius III and inserted in the Bull Exposcit Debitum, July 21, 1550).  The Formula is the fundamental charter of the Society, to which all subsequent organizational documents must conform.  The citation is vague deliberately, because there is no specific support for the claim in the Formula.  Here is a sample of the Formula so that you may judge the extent to which "promotion of justice in the world" is part of the Society's mission as stated in its fundamental charter:

"Whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the Cross in our Society, which we desire to be designated by the Name of Jesus, and to serve the Lord alone and the Church, his spouse, under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth, should, after a solemn vow of perpetual chastity, poverty and obedience, keep what follows in mind. He is a member of a Society founded chiefly for this purpose: to strive especially for the defence and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine, by means of public preaching, lectures and any other ministration whatsoever of the Word of God, and further by means of retreats, the education of children and unlettered persons in Christianity, and the spiritual consolation of Christ's faithful through hearing confessions and administering the other sacraments. Moreover, he should show himself ready to reconcile the estranged, compassionately assist and serve those who are in prisons or hospitals, and indeed, to perform any other works of charity, according to what will seem expedient for the glory of God and the common good."

However, Pedro Arrupe had not forgotten about the Sacred Heart.  In 1981, he reminded his fellow Jesuits of this devotion, spoke of his personal devotion to the Sacred Heart, and pleaded with the Society not to abandon it.  Arrupe stated he had "always been convinced that what we call ‘Devotion to the Sacred Heart’ is a symbolic expression of the very basis of the Ignatian spirit," and stated further that devotion to the Sacred Heart is "one of the deepest sources of vitality for [his] interior life."  Nevertheless, Arrupe admitted that as General he had spoken and written little about it.  The reason for this reluctance, Arrupe said, was the knowledge that "[i]n recent years the very expression ‘Sacred Heart’ has constantly aroused, from some quarters, emotional, almost allergic reactions."  So, the "second founder" of the Society, the General who shifted the mission and focus of the Society, appreciated the great value of devotion to the Sacred Heart.  However, he didn't mention it because it got an "allergic reaction" from "some quarters."

Later that same year, Pedro Arrupe suffered a stroke.  For two years, the Society was governed by Blessed Pope John Paul II's personal delegate.  In 1983, Pope John Paul II accepted Fr. Arrupe's resignation as General.  Of the 28 Superior Generals of the Society, Arrupe was the first to resign his office. 

Overcoming 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, which we discussed earlier.  The second means is sincere humility.  Of sincere humility, Fr. Croiset writes:

"'Jesus Christ," says St. Augustine "does not say to us: 'Learn of Me to work miracles,' but 'Learn of Me because I am meek and humble of heart' (Matt. 11:29), in order to show us that without humility there can be no true piety."  People are sufficiently persuaded of the necessity of this virtue; the difficulty is to know in what true humility consists.  Many think themselves truly humble if they have a low opinion of themselves, but they are not pleased when others have the same opinion of them.  It is not enough to know that we have no virtue of merit; we must believe it, and be satisfied when others believe it.  The first step towards acquiring this virtue is to demand it constantly from God; the next, to convince ourselve of our imperfections by frequent and serious reflection on ourselves.   The remembrance of what we have been, and of what we might have become without the grace of God, are powerful helps to keep us humble.   Really good people think little about others, but pay attention to themselves.  Really humble people are not scandalized because their weakness is perfectly known to themselves: they see themselves so near the abyss, and fear so much to fall in, that they are not surprised that others do fall in. . . .The truest marks of humility are: to cherish those who despise us, not to avoid the humiliations which present themselves, not to take pleasure in vain thoughts and projects about the future which serve only to nourish secret pride, never to speak in praise of ourselves, never to complain of what God permits to happen to us, or wish to be pitied, not to be troubled about our falls; to excuse the faults of our neighbor, to defer in everything to others, to distrust ourselves in our undertakings, and to have a low esteem of what we accomplish; finally, to pray much and speak little.

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."

Fr. Croiset on unmortified passion

We have seen how Fr. Croiset lists "unmortified passion"  among the major obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Here is Fr. Croiset on unmortified passion:

"[T]here are generous souls who resolve to conquer all obstacles and who make serious efforts, but who will not go against their natural bent; they spare some failing that is in harmony with their inclination; and this one enemy spared, this one unmortified passion, this one fault which they will not correct, this one bond which they will not break, makes them limp along all their life, and prevents them from arriving at this high perfection to which they are called."

Fr. Croiset's Definition of "Self-Love" and of "Secret Pride"

We have seen how Fr. Croiset lists "self-love" and "secret pride"  among the major obstacles to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Here is Fr. Croiset on self love:

"Self-love dictates that the practices of virtue to be adopted are those which give us least trouble and suit our tastes best."

Here is Fr. Croiset on secret pride:

"From this spirit of vanity comes the immoderate desire to appear important and the extreme eagerness to succeed in everything that we do.  In vain do we endeavor to find reasons to assure ourselves that we are seeking only the glory of God; we have only to listen to the voice of our conscience to know that it is for our own glory that we are laboring; the inordinate fear that we may not succeed, the sadness and discouragement when we have failed, the joy and exultation when we are praised and honored, are so many visible proofs that deep-seated vanity is the motive of our actions."