Devotion to the Sacred Heart: prayer of 29 June

INSPIRATIONS

29 DAY

Pater Noster.

Invocation. - Heart of Jesus, victim of sinners, have mercy on us!

Intention. - Pray for those who are on the brink of hell, who are about to fall if they are not helped.

INSPIRATIONS

A sacred image represents Jesus under the guise of a traveler, with a stick in his hand, in the act of knocking on a door. It has been observed that the door is missing the handle.

The author of this image intended to concretize the saying of the Apocalypse: I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door for me, I will enter him (Revelation III, 15).

In the Invitatory, which the Church makes Priests repeat daily, at the beginning of the sacred officiation, it is said: Today, if you will hear his voice, do not want to harden your hearts!

The voice of God, of which we speak, is the divine inspiration, which starts from Jesus and is directed to the soul. The door, which does not have a handle on the outside, makes it clear that the soul, having heard the divine voice, has the duty to move, to open internally and to let Jesus enter.

The voice of God is not sensitive, that is, it does not strike the ear, but goes to the mind and goes down to the heart; it is a delicate voice, which cannot be heard if there is no inner recollection; it is a loving and wise voice, which invites sweetly, respecting human freedom.

We consider the essence of divine inspiration and the responsibility that derives from it to those who receive it.

Inspiration is a free gift; it is also called actual grace, because ordinarily it is momentary and is given to the soul in some particular need; it is a ray of spiritual light, which illuminates the mind; it is a mysterious invitation that Jesus makes to the soul, to pull it towards itself or to dispose it to greater graces.

Since inspiration is a gift from God, one has the duty to receive it, to appreciate it and to make it bear fruit. Reflect on this: God does not waste his gifts; He is right and will ask for an account of how his talents have made use of.

It is painful to say it, but many make the deaf to the voice of Jesus and make the holy inspirations ineffective or useless. Saint Augustine, full of wisdom, says: I fear the Lord who passes! - meaning that if Jesus beats today, beats tomorrow at the door of the heart, and he resists and the door is not opened, he could go away and never come back.

It is therefore necessary to listen to the good inspiration and put it into practice, thus making effective the present grace that God gives.

When you have a good thought to implement and this returns persistently to the mind, you regulate yourself as follows: Pray, so that Jesus gives the necessary light; seriously think about whether and how to implement what God inspires; if in doubt, ask the opinion of the Confessor or the Spiritual Director.

The most important inspirations could be:

Consecrate oneself to the Lord, leaving secular life.

Making the vow of virginity.

To offer oneself to Jesus as "host soul" or reparative victim.

Dedicate oneself to the apostolate. Truncate an opportunity for sin. Resume daily meditation, etc ...

Whoever has heard some of the aforementioned inspirations for some time, listen to the voice of Jesus and do not harden his heart.

The Sacred Heart frequently makes its devotees hear its voice, either during a sermon or a pious reading, or while they are in prayer, especially during Mass and in the time of Communion, or while they are in solitude and in inner recollection.

A single inspiration, supported with promptness and generosity, could be the principle of a holy life or a true spiritual rebirth, while an inspiration rendered in vain could break the chain of many other graces that God would like to bestow.

EXAMPLE
Brilliant idea
Mrs De Franchis, from Palermo, had a good inspiration: In my house there is the necessary and also the most. How many, on the other hand, lack bread! It is necessary to help some poor, even daily. This inspiration was put into practice. At lunchtime the lady placed a plate in the center of the table; then he said to the children: At lunch and dinner we will think of some poor person every day. Let each of them deprive themselves of a few bites of soup or dish and put it on this plate. It will be the mouthful of the poor. Jesus will appreciate our mortification and the act of charity. -

Everyone was happy with the initiative. Every day, after the meal, a poor man came in and was served with delicate concern.

Once a young priest, being in the De Franchis family, to see how lovingly they prepared the dish for the poor, was pleasantly surprised by that noble act of charity. It was an inspiration for his ardent priestly heart: If a dish for a needy was prepared in every noble or wealthy family, thousands of poor could feed themselves in this city! -

The good thought, which Jesus inspired, was effective. The fervent minister of God began to propagate the initiative and went on to found a religious order: "Il Boccone del Povero" with two branches, male and female.

How much has been accomplished in a century and how much will be accomplished by the members of this Religious Family!

At present, that priest is the Servant of God and his cause for beatification and canonization is forwarded.

If Father Giacomo Gusmano had not been docile to divine inspiration, we would not have the Congregation of the "Boccone del Povero" in the Church.

Foil. Listen to good inspirations and put them into practice.

Ejaculation. Speak, O Lord, that I listen to you!