Lives Of The Saints
October 17
St. Margaret Mary
Margaret Mary Alacoque gave the Church a lasting witness to the Sacred Heart through hidden prayer, obedience, and patient love in the midst of misunderstanding.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, after Pompeo Batoni (1767)
Brief life
Margaret Mary Alacoque entered the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial seeking to belong wholly to Christ. There, in hidden prayer and the ordinary trials of religious life, she became a faithful witness to the love of the Sacred Heart.
The messages she received called Christians to return Christ's love with love, especially through devotion to his Sacred Heart. Margaret Mary met misunderstanding and humiliation with patience, obedience, and penance. St. Claude La Colombiere gave her wise support and helped make her mission known.
Her life keeps the devotion rooted in the Gospel. The Heart of Jesus is not a private escape from the Church, but the sign of Christ's saving love, received with humility and answered by a life of reparation, prayer, and charity.
Historical note
Margaret Mary was a Visitation nun at Paray-le-Monial. St. Claude La Colombiere supported her mission and helped the devotion to the Sacred Heart gain a careful hearing.
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