Sacred Heart devotion: meditation on June 23st
DAY 23
THE THOUGHT OF PARADISE
23 DAY
Pater Noster.
Invocation. - Heart of Jesus, victim of sinners, have mercy on us!
Intention. - Pray for the Pope, for Bishops and for Priests.
THE THOUGHT OF PARADISE
Jesus tells us to keep our hearts fixed there, where the true gaudi are. He urges us to stay detached from the world, to often think of Paradise, to treasure for the other life. We are on this earth, not to always stay there, but for a shorter or longer time; at any moment, it can be the last hour for us. We must live and we need the things of the world; but it is necessary to use these things, without attacking your heart too much.
Life must be compared to a journey. Being on the train, how many things can be seen! But it would be crazy that traveler who seeing a beautiful villa, interrupted the trip and stopped there, forgetful of his city and his family. They are also mad, morally speaking, those who attach too much to this world and think little or nothing about the end of life, about the blessed eternity, to which we must all aspire.
Our hearts, therefore, are fixed on Paradise. To fix a thing is to look at it carefully and for a long time and not just to take a fleeting glance. Jesus says to keep our hearts fixed, that is, applied to eternal joy; therefore those who rarely think and escape the beautiful Paradise are to be pitied.
Unfortunately the worries of life are as many thorns that suffocate the aspirations to Heaven. What are you constantly thinking about in this world? What do you love? What goods are you looking for? ... The bodily pleasures, the satisfactions of the throat, the satisfaction of the heart, the money, the vain extras, the amusements, the shows ... All this is not true well, because it does not fully satisfy the human heart and is not lasting. Jesus exhorts us to seek the true goods, the eternal ones, which thieves cannot kidnap us and that rust cannot corrupt. True goods are good works, done in God's grace and with right intention.
Devotees of the Sacred Heart must not imitate the worldly, who can compare themselves to unclean animals, who prefer mud and do not look up; rather imitate the birds, which touch the ground just barely, out of necessity, to seek some birdseed, and immediately fly high.
Oh, how sordid the earth is when one looks at Heaven!
We enter into the views of Jesus and do not overwhelmingly attack the heart either to our home, which we will have to leave one day, or to the properties, which will then pass to the heirs, or to the body, which will rot.
We do not envy those who have a lot of wealth, because they live with more concern, they will die with more regret and give God close account of the use they have made of it.
Rather, we bring holy envy to those generous souls, who enrich themselves with eternal goods every day with many good works and exercises of piety and imitate their lives.
Let us think of Heaven in suffering, mindful of Jesus' words: Your sadness will be changed into joy! (John, XVI, 20).
In the small and momentary joys of life we raise our gaze to Heaven, thinking: What we enjoy here is nothing, compared to the joy of Heaven.
Let us not let a single day go by without thinking about the Celestial Fatherland; and at the end of the day we always ask ourselves: What did I gain for Heaven today?
As the magnetic needle of the compass is continually turned to the north pole, so our heart is turned to Heaven: Our heart is fixed there, where the true joy is!
EXAMPLE
An artist
Eva Lavallièrs, orphan of father and mother, gifted with much intelligence and ardent soul, was strongly attracted to the goods of this world and went in search of glory and pleasures. The theaters of Paris were the field of his youth. How many applause! How many newspapers exalted her! But how many faults and how many scandals! ...
In the silence of the night, returning to herself, she wept; his heart was not satisfied; aspired to greater things.
The famous artist had retired to a village, to rest a little and to prepare herself for a cycle of performances. Silent life led her to meditation. The grace of God touched her heart and Eva Lavallièrs, after a great internal struggle, decided not to be an artist anymore, to no longer aspire to earthly goods and to aim only at Heaven. It could not be stirred up by the pressing demands of interested people; he persevered in his good intention and generously embraced the Christian life, with the frequency of the sacraments, with good works, but most of all by lovingly bearing a large cross, which was to bring it to the grave. His edifying conduct was an adequate reparation to the scandals given.
A Paris newspaper had proposed a questionnaire to its readers, aimed at getting to know the various tastes, especially of the young ladies. How many vain answers to that questionnaire! The former artist also wanted to answer, but in the following tenor:
«What is your favorite flower? »- The thorns of the crown of Jesus.
«The most favorite sport? »- The genuflection.
«The place you love most? »- Monte Calvario.
«What is the most expensive jewel? »- The crown of the Rosary.
«What is your property? " - The tomb.
«Can you say what you are? »- A filthy worm.
«Who forms your joy? »- Jesus. Thus Eva Lavallièrs replied, after appreciating the spiritual goods and fixing her gaze on the Sacred Heart.
Foil. If there is any disorderly affection, cut it off immediately, so as not to endanger yourself in losing Paradise.
Ejaculation. Jesus, Joseph and Mary, I give you my heart and soul!
(Taken from the booklet "The Sacred Heart - Month to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-" by the Salesian Don Giuseppe Tomaselli)
FLOWER OF THE DAY
If there is any disordered affection, cut it off immediately, so as not to endanger yourself in losing Paradise