St.Margaret Mary

"Behold the heart that has so loved men ... "
~Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Today is the feast of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. She was born on July 22, 1647 in France of virtuous parents and had an intense love of the Blessed Sacrament. She fell ill and became paralyzed after practicing mortifications, but when she consecrated herself to religious life she was instantly cured.

After her family became impoverished due to the injustice of a relative, Margaret found consolation and comfort in the Blessed Sacrament. She entered the Visitation convent in 1671 where she was made to undergo many trials to prove her vocation.

Jesus appeared to her and asked her to establish the First Friday of every month as a day of receiving Holy Communion and making a Holy Hour as a way to share in the suffering He endured on the last Friday of His life. He also asked that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be established.

Happy Feast Day to all those who are named after this saint, and all those with a devotion to the Sacred Heart.