FRANCISCAN DEVOTION TO THE EUCHARIST AND TO THE SACRED HEART
by Margaret A. Gregory
The church was one of many small, neglected chapels that dot the environs of
Assisi; one of the many in which Francis would spend hours upon his knees, weeping
before the crucifix out of love for the Lord who had died for love of him. But this day
Francis would not be alone in the chapel of San Damiano. This day a voice from the
crucifix would tell him to "Rebuild my church, for it is nearly in ruins."1 On that day,
the life of Francis Bernardone was changed; and on that day your lives were changed,
my life was changed, all our lives were changed. For because of his response, we are no
longer merely men and women, husbands, wives, mothers; we are Secular Franciscans,
brothers and sisters in St. Francis. And that plea from Christ to St. Francis at San
Damiano in 1206 is also a plea to us in Arlington, VA, in 1995.
While Francis began by literally repairing those church structures which he
found in ruin, we know that Our Lord didn't want St. Francis only to repair Church
buildings, but rather He desired that Francis and Secular Franciscans rebuild His
Mystical Body, the holy Catholic Church.
It seems a great deal more complicated to repair a mystical structure. After all,
where is the cracked sheetrock, the broken plumbing? What tools do we use to restore
peace, to repair for sin, to increase grace, in effect, to change the world? Well, there are
tools, and they were offered by a 16th century Franciscan priest, St. Peter Alcantara to a
man who was lamenting the terrible state of the Church at that time. When the man
asked St. Peter what he was going to do about the problems, Peter replied, "I must
become holy." It is as simple as that: we are the tools. To rebuild the Church, we must
become holy. For no matter what has caused the wounds in the Body of Christ today,
they are spiritual wounds. And the means of healing them is spiritual as well.
Become holy is a very simple answer, but the most difficult task possible to man,
for Jesus alone is "holy", as we pray in the Gloria at Mass. In the words of Pope Pius
XII, "Holiness begins from Christ; and Christ is its cause...(All) Grace and glory come
from His inexhaustible fullness."2 Then our holiness is the result of our union with
Christ in His Mystical Body. Jesus gives us His own holiness that we might use it to
build up the Church!
How do we tap into this holiness? I can't speak as one who has achieved that
holiness. (Just ask my kids!) Like you, I am a Franciscan-in-formation, a sister in need
of that daily "radical interior change which the gospel calls 'conversion'."3 However, we
are fortunate to belong to an Order of saints beginning with St. Francis and St. Clare,
whose examples inspire us, and whose merits and graces are shared with us. This same
Franciscan Order also gives us the Holy Rule, and the practical means by which we can
sanctify our lives, our families, the world, for Franciscan "theology is a practical
science, and is summed up as the love of God. [We] seek to love Him with love, with
passion, as St. Francis loved Him." 4 St. Francis was so wise for indeed love makes all
things easy. Franciscans become holy by becoming lovers. We must 'fall in love with
Jesus, our Beloved, and be on fire with that Love which is the Holy Spirit; that love
with which Jesus desired to set the world on fire.
Then it is love that will make us holy. For it is by loving God that Franciscans
seek to acquire virtue, unlike other schools of spirituality which seek the acquisition of
virtue in order to arrive at love. As an example from my own life, I have had the
occasion to confess rather regularly to the same parish priest who knows me very well,
and who is very Jesuitical. Often, after I had confessed my sins, Father would say, "Mrs.
G., what sin are you working on?" or "What virtue are you trying to acquire?", which
would leave me speechless, and feeling quite discouraged. But he has stopped asking.
You see, I told him that my soul was like a garden full of weeds. When I try to pull out
the weeds, I am so weak and the weeds so deep that by the time I finish pulling out one
weed, several others have grown in its place. And by focusing on the weeds, which are
myself, I lose sight of Jesus. So instead of pulling out weeds, I decided to plant Love,
and to tend to it with all my energy until it chokes out the weeds and becomes the only
plant in my garden.
But how are we to plant love? How can we nurture it so that it is the only plant
in our garden? The Secular Franciscan Constitution gives us practical means, and
particular devotions, by which we can arrive at this burning charity for God and for
His Church. It tells us that holiness, "The union with Christ,....is renewed and
strengthened through participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Consequently, Tertiaries
shall be on fire with love for the most sublime Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ".5 They are to "show deep reverence for God's Churches,....and make
visits to them readily, whenever an opportunity occurs..6 Finally, it continues, "they
shall take the greatest care to make life within the family pleasant and happy....The
crucifix...shall occupy the principal place in the living rooms and bedrooms. Home life
shall be sanctified each day by morning and evening prayers, and by grace before and
after meals. The following practices are strongly recommended: the reading of the New
Testament or the life of some saint; the recitation of the rosary of the Blessed Virgin
Mary or of the Franciscan Crown; and the consecration of the family to the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary, annually renewed."7
While all of these devotions are important, I have decided to focus on Franciscan
devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, that is, those devotions which most
easily help us become lovers of Our Lord. According to our Holy Rule, prayer and
contemplation are the soul of all we are and do,8 and there is no better, no more perfect
prayer that we can offer than to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, daily, if
possible.9 At Holy Mass, we place ourselves, all our works, sufferings, our heart, our
will, all our loved ones, and even more, all our sins, on the altar where they are
exchanged for the merits of Jesus Christ. We give Him our sins, our weakness and
poverty, and He gives us the richness of His mercy and the merits of His sacrifice.
What a wondrous and totally disproportionate exchange! What an incredible gift to us
which allows us to become holy with God's own holiness. In the words of St. John
Damascene, "we approach it (the Eucharist) with burning desire ...so that the fire of our
desire, having been enkindled from the coals, burn away our sins, and enlighten our
hearts, and in the communication of the divine fire we be equally set on fire and
deified".10
The benefits and action of the Mass are not limited to that time while we are in
the Church. We are to make the Mass extend throughout our entire day by continually
placing our prayers, works, joys, sufferings, all our falls and failures on the altar,
uniting them with the action of the Mass which goes on uninterruptedly through time.
But we Franciscan lovers of Jesus Christ are called to do even more than that, for
in each Mass, we also make our nuptials with our Beloved. We offer ourselves,
symbolized by the bread and wine, to Jesus during the Offertory. And during the
consecration we exchange our vows, so to speak, when Jesus takes us, the bread and
wine, and says "Take and eat. This is My Body..... Take and drink. This is My Blood."
We and Jesus become one: we become His Body and Blood, the perfect offering to the
Father. Our nuptial exchange is consummated when we receive Jesus in Holy
Communion. And throughout our day we should remain aware of our union with
Jesus by consciously uniting ourselves to the Mass and by making Spiritual
Communions. That is the way in which our whole day is sanctified and becomes a
Mass, because then all that we say or do is for love of Jesus. When we fold clothes, they
belong to Jesus; when we cook it is His meal; whatever work we do and whomever we
may serve, it is always for Jesus, always with Jesus, always in love with Jesus.
We are reminded that this same Jesus, Whom we love and receive in Holy
Communion, remains in the tabernacle by Paul VI who tells us that "Day and night He
is in our midst, He dwells with us, full of grace and truth. He restores morality,
nourishes virtues, consoles the afflicted and strengthens the weak."11"...everything
depends upon rightly adoring and making amends to Christ Jesus especially in the
most sacred mystery of the Eucharist."12
St. Francis prayed: Let the whole of mankind tremble, the whole world shake and the
heavens exult,
when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a
priest.
O admirable heights and sublime lowliness! O sublime humility! O
humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself
that for our salvation He hides Himself under the forms of bread!
Look, brothers, at the humility of God and pour out your hearts before Him!
Humble yourselves, as well, that you may be exalted by Him.
Therefore, hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves
so that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally.13
Therefore, Franciscans should visit our Lord often in the Blessed Sacrament
where He waits for us to console Him and love Him. Let us give ourselves totally to
Him, and whether our hearts are full of joy or full of sorrow, pour them out before
Him. Even when our hearts are desolate and our prayer dry, let us stay with Him and,
like St. John, lay our heads upon His Heart, consoling Him Who suffered in desolation
upon the cross for us. Remembering that all grace comes from Him, we will rebuild the
Church in the measure that we surrender ourselves to prayer, allowing Jesus to change
the world through us. That is how we will adhere to the counsel of St. Francis and
"become announcers of the gospel of peace and conversion." That is how we will "be
patient in trouble and give a humble answer to all who insult us; bless those who
persecute us and thank those who slander and do us wrong."14 It is Jesus alone who
gives us the grace to accomplish these things and it is before the Tabernacle that we
will receive those graces.
I can assure you from personal experience that there is no better way to grow in
an intimate relationship with Our Lord than by daily visiting Him in the Tabernacle;
and a daily holy hour is less costly than a psychiatrist's couch, more comforting and
helpful than a support group. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi recommended to busy
people in the world to take time out each day for praying before the Holy Eucharist. "A
friend," she wrote, "will visit a friend in the morning to wish him a good day, in the
evening, a good night, taking also an opportunity to converse with him during the day.
In like manner, make visits to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, if your duties
permit it. It is especially at the foot of the altar that one prays well. In all your visits to
our Savior, frequently offer His precious Blood to the Eternal Father. You will find
these visits very conducive to increase in you divine love."15
I have saved the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for my last topic because it
has been my favorite since I was a child attending a boarding school run by Religious
of the Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart devotion contains, according to Pope Pius XII, "a
summary of all our religion and....a guide to a more perfect life"16 For while we might
find it difficult to burn with love for Jesus hidden in the Eucharist, none of us has
difficulty loving the Human Heart of Jesus Christ pierced with a lance so that His grace
might pour out over us. And there is an intimate link between the human Heart of our
Savior and the Blessed Sacrament, for "fervent devotional practice towards the Heart of
Jesus" says Pius XII, " will foster and advance devotion to the Holy Cross.... and love
for the Most Holy Sacrament." 17 I could read pages of quotes from recent popes
encouraging devotion to the Sacred Heart, but that would be boring, and the last thing
that I want to do is make you think that the Sacred Heart of Jesus could ever be boring.
I will leave you a page of some of those quotes to read at a later time, but right now, I
would like to tell you how to make use of this special devotion, so Franciscan, which is
the "most effective school of the love of God".18 For the Sacred Heart devotion is a
crusade to restore the rights of Christ the King of Love over all mankind; a crusade to
establish the Social Reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
All Franciscans should enthrone a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
in a prominent place in the home and pray the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart.
We should daily renew that consecration, and honor Jesus by showing greater fidelity
to our duty; by more frequent and more fervent attendance at Holy Mass and reception
of Holy Communion; and finally, by having a loving trust in His adorable Heart in the
midst of trouble. By this enthronement, we recognize Christ's rule over our families,
and we give our hearts to Him, in exchange for His Heart.
In 1972, my family enthroned the Sacred Heart in our home, and we daily renew
our consecration after praying our family Rosary. Since the time of that consecration,
my family has carried some very heavy crosses. I will not tell you that we haven't
suffered, or that there were never times of stress; but Jesus is the King and Head of our
family, and He keeps His promises to families who honor His Sacred Heart. So, in
times of tribulation, I place myself in His Heart as in a safe refuge. In times of peace, I
place myself there in order to be inflamed and consumed in that divine furnace of
Charity. When I fall and sin, I plunge myself even more quickly into His Heart, rightly
called an abyss of mercy. And in times of temptation or desolation, I simply pray
"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee" as many times as is necessary, until I
am at peace. The Heart of Jesus is indeed the source of all love and consolation and He
has never left me disappointed.
I would like each of you to have a copy of this Enthronement booklet, so that
you might enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home. The devotion, its history and
practices are explained in the booklet more clearly than I could explain them, but I'd
like to read over with you the promises of Our Lord which are on Page 2:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will bless every house in which the picture of My Heart shall be exposed and
honored.
4. I will console them in all their difficulties.
5. I will be their refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
6. I will shed abundant blessing upon all their undertakings.
7. Sinners shall find in My Heart a fountain and boundless ocean of mercy.
8. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
9. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the hardest hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My
Heart never to be blotted out.
12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful
love will grant to all who communicate on the first Friday of the month for nine
consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My displeasure
nor without their sacraments: My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in his last
moment.
I have heard many stories of conversions attributed to the Sacred Heart devotion
and I believe that they are true, simply because I have witnessed at least one of them
myself. My mother's brother made the nine first Fridays as a devout young altar boy,
but through the years he fell away from the Sacraments, and in fact became a very evil
man. He was an alcholic, a wife and child abuser and an athiest who eventually could
not even step into a Catholic Church. But my mother, who had great devotion to the
Sacred Heart, prayed unceasingly for him, making many sacrifices, and offering her
daily Mass and Communion for him. She reminded Our Lord often of His promise to
provide the sacraments to those who make the nine first Fridays. In his seventieth year,
and on his death bed, Uncle Billy gratefully received those sacraments in my mother's
tearful presence. The Sacred Heart of Jesus proved Himself to be my uncle's safe refuge
in his last moments.
I encourage each of you to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your homes and
in your hearts so that you might "love Him more ardently and imitate Him more
perfectly."19 For it is our heart, our love which is the measure of our holiness. When we
meet Jesus at our judgment, it is not our merits which we will present to Him, for "what
have we that we have not been given?" The question He will ask is "Do you love Me?
Does your heart belong only to Me?"
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the burning furnace of love, enkindle our hearts
with its fire, so that we Secular Franciscans of St. Thomas More Fraternity may be
passionate lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Pax et bonum!
1 St. Francis of Assisi, Johann Jorgensen, P. 42
2 Mystici Corporis, Pius XII, #51
3 From Gospel to Life, The Rule of SFO, #7
4 Franciscan Mysticism, Brother Boniface Maes, OFM, P. 3
5 General Constitution, Art. 56
6 Ibid., Art. 58
7 General Constitution, Art. 72
8 From Gospel to Life, The Rule of SFO, #8
9 Ibid.
10 De fide Orthod. 4, 13; P.G. 94, 1150
11 Mysterium Fidei, Pope Paul VI
12 Investigabiles Divitias Christi, P. 53, par 4
13 Francis and Clare, P. 58
14 St. Francis of Assisi, Johann Jorgensen, P. 66
15 The History of Eucharistic Adoration, John A. Hardon, SJ, P. 29
