Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus became popular through St John Eudes, and especially St Margaret Mary who was favoured with appearances of Our Lord who asked her to spread the message of His personal love for us.

Our Lord emphasised the wounds which our sins cause to His Sacred Heart, and the consolation which our prayer, penance and charity give to Him. We are encouraged to understand that our sins are not simply the breaking of rules, or foibles that we can excuse ourselves for, but personal offences against God who has come down to earth and suffered for us to redeem us.

Likewise, our good works of mercy, and our loving adoration are far more than the achievement of “peace of soul” or a purely human moral achievement. When they are undertaken out of a real and personal love for Christ, they console His Sacred Heart and bring us further graces to become more like Him.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, devotion to the Sacred Heart was a remedy against the rigorist tendencies of the Jansenists, especially by encouraging frequent devout Holy Communion, received with proper preparation and loving devotion.

Today, the same devotion is a remedy against the indifference and carelessness which arises from a lack of faith in the eternal truths and a reductive humanist approach to “religion” which makes it merely a lifestyle choice. Devotion to the Sacred Heart calls us to a living faith in Jesus Christ who calls for our loyalty and personal love.