At Sacred Heart Church, a beautifully large stained-glass window of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque sits to the left of the altar. I wonder how often it is overlooked as we attend Mass. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is certainly present in our church, but what about our little French nun?
So writes Anne Atkin, pictured above, principal of Sacred Heart Catholic School in Hudson upon the Feast of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 - 90) the French Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form. Principal Atkin continues:
Jesus Himself came to Sister Margaret Mary in Paray-le-Monial, France, where she began to receive visions of Jesus crowned with thorns. He told her that He wanted to spread the love of His heart through her, and that she would reveal the profound grace He bestows on humanity. In one vision, Margaret Mary saw Jesus take her heart and place it within His own, setting it aflame with a divine love that continued to burn within her even after it was returned to her body.
Sadly, many of Margaret Mary’s peers did not believe her, and she endured severe judgment and isolation. Why does this part of the story matter, and why is it important that our students understand the weight of what this young nun received?
Many of our students come from families who helped build our school almost 100 years ago. They will go on to be good athletes, hard workers, and citizens with a deep-rooted concern for their community and neighbors. Hudson is a town rich in Catholic tradition. And yet, as anyone with some years of living will know, this world will challenge our kids, maybe in ways as difficult as Margaret Mary endured.
My hope for our students, and all children, is for them to turn to the Lord when they feel judgment, isolation, or any deep wound. We want each of them to know that they have a supernatural ability — one far beyond our own human power — to forgive, extend grace, pray for the good of others, and ask the Lord for guidance. To quite literally ask for His Sacred Heart.
It is a heart wounded by our sin, yet completely on fire with love. Every day, but especially on the Feast of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, we pray for the people we are worried about or those who have hurt us, bringing them all to His Sacred Heart.
“Fix what is broken in them, and fix what is broken in me. Bring us to your Sacred Heart.”
We ask Jesus to heal what we cannot. He wants this for us; that is why He has given us His Sacred Heart. When we pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our hearts can be sacred, too.
* To know more about Sacred Heart parish and school in Hudson, go to: https://www.sacredhearthudson.org/
