In 17th-century France, St Margaret Mary received a series of visions of Jesus, revealing to her His Sacred Heart which symbolised his love for mankind, and was so often rejected. He asked her to spread devotion to this Heart throughout the whole Church, as reparation for the many sins and offenses it endured. As part of this devotion, Jesus made twelve promises, including a promise which began the First Fridays' devotion.
How did devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begin? In some ways, it can be said to be as hold as Christianity itself, in the teachings of Jesus and in the piercing of his side on the cross. But many saints helped to further devotion to the Sacred Heart, including most notably St John Eudes and St Margaret Mary Alacoque. Explore a brief history of the devotion in this blog.
Discover the meaning and the significance of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of its origins at Christ's Crucifixion, and what it means for us today.
The heroism of the martyrs inspires us, their love sets us on fire, their merciful love towards their oppressors offers us an example to follow; their blood and sufferings grace the spiritual treasury of the Church making intercession for all of us so we, like them, may come to know and love Christ.
Both secularism and superstition have popularised some very distorted ideas about exorcism. In this blog, an experienced exorcist offers some clarity on causes of demonic influence, explaining that while the devil has a share in all our sins, some sins have a special affinity with the devil. It is these sins in particular that may become the cause demonic influence.
In order to reconcile us to Himself, Jesus became man and freely gave up His own life for our sake. And yet, when we sin, we risk losing our new identity as children of God. In this blog, discover how to unite yourself with Jesus and live for His Kingdom, and the role the Mass has to play in this goal.
