In this month of Mary, main patron saint of France and many countries, let us present to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary our respective countries.
« when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just clever stories that someone invented. But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes. Jesus heard the voice of God, the greatest glory, when He received honour and glory from God the Father.
The voice said : « this is my Son whom I love and I am very pleased with him. » We heard that voice from Heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain. This makes us more sure about the message the prophet gave. It is good for you to follow closely what they said as you would follow a light shining in a dark place, until the day begins and the morning star rises in your hearts. » (IIPeter 1)
“My gentle Saviour appeared to me, resplendant in glory, his five wounds were like shining suns ; and particularly the wound in his Side appeared like a burning furnace”
(St Margaret Mary on her second great apparition)
Tomorrow, on the 14th of August, we celebrate the memory of st Maximilian Kolbe, whose life ended on the eve of the Assumption ; and on the 15th of August, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. That is why it seems appropriate to publish the consecration to Mary drawn up by the polish martyr on the 16th of October 1917, with a conscious link to the memory of st Margaret Mary.
« O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of Mercy to You. I (name) a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring You to take me with all that I am and I have, wholly, to yourself, as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases You. If it pleases You, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of You : « She will crush your head » and , « You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world. » Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever You enter, You obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. »
« (Jesus) began to pray, and entered his agony. And then they saw him, so to speak, crying not only from his eyes but as though from all the limbs of his body, in order to purify with his tears his entire body : the Church ! Brothers, the tears of Christ give rise within me to shame and pain. I was enjoying myself on the public square… What shall I do then ? Continue to enjoy my games ? Take no heed of his tears ? The Son of God shares our pains, and He cries ; and you, O man, who are affected, would you laugh ? What flood of tears will suffice to water the sterility of my soul ? Through what tears will I irrigate the infertile ground of my vine ? All these branches have dried out through drought ; they die off without bearing fruit, for want of wetness. Merciful Jesus, You are a witness of this : that all the bunches of these branches burn each day in the fire of my heart broken as a sacrifice for You ! For now, I find as I think of my pains and remember the tears of my God, the very real motive to reflect and the road that I am following and to turn towards his commandments. » (St Bernard, whose feast we are celebrating today).
Saint Augustine, whose feast we are celebrating tomorrow, meditates on the story of the Disciple resting on the Heart of Jesus during the Last Supper.
« Assuredly, there is here something hidden and which is linked to the breast on which rested the one (st John) who was telling of this, because what is more secret than resting on the breast ?… During the Last Supper, her rested on the chest of the Lord to show thereby that he was taking in the deepest secret of the intimacy of his Heart… John the Evangelist was not resting without reason on the chest of the Lord, but to take in the secrets of his greatest wisdom and to repreach in his Gospel what he had absorbed in his love… He proclaimed what he had taken in, and it is not without reason that it is told of him, in the same Gospel, that at the Last Supper, he was resting on the chest of the Lord. From this chest then, he was drawing on a secret brew. But what he drank in secret, he proclaimed openly so that all nations could learn of not only the Incarnation of the Son of God, his Passion and his Resurrection, but also what was before the Sole Incarnation of the Father, the Word of the Father, co-eternal with the One who created him, equal to the One who sent him… » (st Augustine)
32 – They came to a place calle Gethsemane. Jesus said to his disciples : « Sit here while I pray ».
Paroles et musique : R. Magnabosco
Jésus, Jésus (bis)
Jésus, Jésus
Jésus, Jésus
Prayer of the bishops of France at the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (June 2020)
Lord Jesus,
our light, our strength, our peace, our joy,
after these months of health crisis,
in communion with all our brothers and sisters in faith,
we entrust ourselves to You.
We entrust to You those who died and those who are left in sorrow.
We also come to give You thanks and to entrust our country to You.
33- Jesus took Peter, James and John with him, and He began to be very sad and troubled.
34- He said to them : « My heart is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch. »
Prayer of the bishops of France at the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (June 2020)
Be blessed
for having been alongside us as we went through the trial of the pandemic,
as you protected us at many other times during our history.
Be blessed
for the prayer that your Spirit has kept alive
whilst those who believe in You could not gather to celebrate You.
35- After walking a bit farther away from them, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, He would not have this time of suffering.
36- He prayed : « Abba… Father, You can do all things. Take away this cup of suffering. But do what You want, not what I want ».
Hymn p.310 « Here I am Lord, I come to do your will, let it be done to me according to your word »
« I adore and love You, O divine Heart of Jesus living in the Heart of Mary, I beg You to live and reign in all hearts and to consume them in your pure love. »
37- Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, « Simon, are you sleeping, couldn’t you stay awake with me for an hour ? «
Prayer of the bishops of France at the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (June 2020)
Be blessed
for the many fraternal gestures towards the most deprived
and for the devotion of carers
and of all those who, in the secret of their hearts, have allowed our daily lives to continue.
Be blessed
for accompanying the sick and the support of distressed families.
Be blessed
for the commitment of those who have to watch over
all the different elements of our national community.
38- Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right but the body is weak.
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
We pray that You now grant us all the grace of discernment and determination
to implement the necessary conversions and to face the economic difficulties,
challenges and the opportunities of the period to come.
Grant that each member of your Church should be attentive to all and proclaim your Gospel.
39- Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing.
« I adore and love You, O divine Heart of Jesus living in the Heart of Mary, I beg You to live and reign in all hearts and to consume them in your pure love. »
41- After Jesus prayed a third time, He went back to his followers and said to them : « Are you still sleeping and resting ? That’s enough ! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people. »
Prayer of the bishops of France at the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (June 2020)
Lord Jesus
Fill us with the love which flows from your pierced Heart,
free us from all fear,
make us witnesses of the hope that You make us capable of, till the day when You will welcome us in your heavenly Kingdom. AMEN.
42- Get up ! We must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me.
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