FIRST FRIDAY HOLY MASS: SACRED HEART OF JESUS
In the 17th century, a Visitation nun in France, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, experienced apparitions from Christ, urging people to practice this devotion, to honour and consecrate themselves to His Most Sacred Heart, which began the practice of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Also, He requested acts of reparation, frequent Communion and Communion on the First Fridays of the month (nine consecutive Fridays in a year), and the keeping of Holy Hours. He also gave St. Margaret Mary twelve promises to those who practise this devotion.
THE TWELVE PROMISES
- I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
- I will give peace in their families and will unite families that are divided.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
- I will bestow the blessings of Heaven on all their enterprises.
- Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall rise quickly to great perfection.
- I will bless those places where the image of My Heart shall be exposed and honoured and will imprint My love on the hearts of those who would wear this image on their person. I will also destroy all disordered movements in them.
- I will give to priests who are animated by a tender devotion to my Divine Heart the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be effaced.
- I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence: they will not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
First Friday Devotions at Divine Mercy Shrine
7:00 pm: Holy Mass
8:00pm to 12:00am: Adoration
Little Known Fact:
Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • St Josaphat Formation Center, Phoenix, AZ
A little known fact of the revelations of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary is that in 1689 Jesus asked that the King of France consecrate himself and his realm to the Sacred Heart and that he adorn his flags and coat of arms with the image of His Heart. He was promised as a result to be victorious over his enemies and those of the Holy Church. The King at that time was none other than Louis XIV ‘the Sun King’ who, in spite of his many personal sins, was quite devout according to historians. He had, in fact, consecrated the realm to St. Joseph only three days after ascending to the throne some 45 years previously.
But this request of the Sacred Heart went unfulfilled by him and by his son Louis XV as well. It wasn’t until more than 100 years after the revelation to St. Margaret Mary of Our Lord’s special request that the French King – the unfortunate Louis XVI – made a private consecration of himself and the realm to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1792.
But it was too late. Louis XVI made this consecration privately as a prisoner in his own palace under the guard of the French Revolutionaries who ended his monarchy and sought his blood in the Terror that reigned in Paris.
Louis had vowed to make the consecration publicly when he would be restored to power, but the guillotine dashed all hope of that when he and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed.
Even though the kings of France had been reluctant to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart, many others were not, and the devotion spread within France and to other political powers of Europe with very positive results. Yet, one can wonder what would have happened if the Sun King had humbled himself and consecrated his realm to Jesus’ Heart?
The rest of the story, as they say, is that in June 1929, the Fatima seer Lucia received another vision in which Our Lord told her, “Like the king of France, they will repent and do it, but it will be late. Russia will have already spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church; the Holy Father will have much to suffer.”
Don’t hesitate to inform yourself and then consecrate yourself and your families to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate of Heart of Mary. St. Margaret Mary said, “The most efficacious way to obtain devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”