June 21 — The Sorrows of the Sacred Heart.

The Sorrows of the Sacred Heart.

1. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is nothing else than a history of continual sorrow. He is termed in Holy Scripture “the Man of sorrows.” Sorrowful He came into the world: in sorrow He grew up to manhood. In sorrow He gazed into the hearts of men, and saw there what He hated most. In sorrow He witnessed their refusal to listen to His divine call. In sorrow — bitter sorrow — He watched the falling away of one of the chosen twelve. In sorrow He heard of the denial of St. Peter. In sorrow He was betrayed, mocked, scourged, crucified. Was there ever sorrow like His?

2. What caused Him the greatest sorrow of all? The ingratitude of man. There is nothing that wounds so deeply as love rejected; and this is what Jesus felt every moment of His life. There was never love such as His, and therefore never such sorrow as when it was rejected. O my Jesus! I, too, have returned Thee unkindness, coldness, neglect. Forgive me the sorrow I have caused Thee, and make me love Thee more and more.

3. Was it only here and there that the Sacred Heart of Jesus met with this cause for sorrow? Alas! it was an universal sorrow, not a single child of Adam but added to this sorrow. Even the greatest saints did not return love for love as they ought; all caused Christ to sorrow. All save one; the peerless one, the immaculate, the ever faithful Mother of God. O Mary, pray for me, that I may never again cause sorrow to the Sacred Heart.