Dear friends,

I began writing to you about my travels about a month ago now, and I am not quite half way through the trip. I want to write to you about the overarching theme that was present throughout the trip, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. As I shared with you previously, we were able to stay at Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) on the top of Montmartre in Paris. This was a wonderful place to begin and end the pilgrimage. The Sacred Heart of Jesus has received devotion from the faithful in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. The devotion has taken different forms and was promoted by different priests and religious down through the years. The devotion as we now know it was revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the latter part of the 17^th century. During this time there was great unrest in the Church and as in all ages there was a general malaise about many of the faithful, the Catholics, called to know, love, and serve Him with all their heart.

It is in this context that our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary in the Visitation Convent in Paray le Monial (which we got to visit). Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary with His Sacred Heart exposed and consumed with flames. He said to her, “Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus.”

Jesus in the Gospel of St. Matthew says, “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” These words were ever present on our trip and have been in my heart ever since then. Our Lord gives us this invitation each day, and yet we neglect it. We neglect the gift of the Eucharist, the precious gift of His most holy body and blood poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. In these days as we prepare to celebrate the secular holiday of Thanksgiving, may we focus on that which is most important in our lives and give thanks to the One who gives us His life and light. With this attitude, we can make up for those who neglect this gift and do all we can to make it known. Our lives too will be filled with the fire of His love and the joy that flows from serving the One whose heart is on fire with love for us.

Take some time each day to focus on the good things God is doing in your life. Ask God for the grace to see them and to ponder them in your heart. On Facebook many have responded to a challenge to write a few things each day that they are grateful for. This is a great way to focus on the good and to see more and more that which is most important in our lives. This will also make us more attentive to those things that are taking us away from the Lord, those things that are taking away our peace and our joy. We will be able to recognize our selfish tendencies as we hold on to the things of this world, and what freedom we experience when we see everything as a gift meant to be shared. As we ponder these things our hearts will be drawn to be reconciled to the one whose heart was pierced for love of us.

Sacred Heart drawn by St. Margaret Mary