CrucisSt. Margaret Mary Alacoque
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born on 22 July 1647 at Verosvres in Burgundy, France, and died on 17 October 1690 at Paray-le-Monial. After a childhood marked by illness and hardship, she entered the convent of the Visitation nuns at Paray-le-Monial, drawn to a hidden life of prayer and humility. There, between 1673 and 1675, she received a series of revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In these visions Christ showed her His Heart burning with love for humanity and grieved by human ingratitude, and asked that this love be honored — through devotion to His Sacred Heart, the observance of the First Fridays, a Holy Hour, and the establishment of a feast in its honor. At first doubted and opposed, she was supported and her experiences confirmed by her Jesuit confessor, St. Claude de la Colombière. From her witness grew one of the most beloved devotions in the Church. She was canonized in 1920.
Selected quotes
“Make reparation for the coldness of the world by the warmth of your devotion.”
“Give yourself wholly to the love of Christ, holding nothing back for yourself.”
“Surrender your whole self to God, and let him reign as King in your heart.”