MEMORIAL: OCTOBER 16
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born at the end of the 17th century in France. As an only child, she had a great devotion to silence. She began mortifications at nine years old after she received her first Holy Communion. She consecrated herself to Mary and had visions of Jesus throughout her life. At the age of 24, she became a nun.
In her visions of Jesus, He gave Margaret the practice of an hour of Eucharistic adoration on Thursdays, mirroring His Agony in the Garden. This ‘Holy Hour’ is a practice very popular in modern Catholicism. He also instructed the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of each month and the celebration of the Solemnity of His Sacred Heart. In these actions, Jesus draws us deeper into the mystery of His love.
At first, many did not believe that St. Margaret Mary was having these visions. However, with the aid of the community’s confessor and the evident grace in her actions, the community accepted the visions. She eventually became assistant to the Superior and later a Novice Mistress. St. Margaret Mary would die at the age of 43. She is the patron saint of all those devoted to the Sacred Heart because she is responsible for spreading its devotion.
