Sacred Heart of Jesus: A Means of Salvation or Literally Saint-ification for Us

By Nishant Xavier –

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is God’s Living Testament of His Infinite Love for us – our Divine Redeemer, our Father and King, has a Heart burning with Love for humanity. We ought to expose this Image in our homes, venerate it with highest honor, and consecrate ourselves and dedicate our family and loved ones to the Loving Kingship of this Sacred Heart. Blessings upon blessings, Graces upon Graces, Mercy upon Mercy, will come to the house devoted to the Sacred Heart.

First Point: The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a safe and sure means of salvation

The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart illustrate this. Every Catholic Christian who receives Holy Communion on Nine Consecutive Fridays, after Confession and a good preparation, is assured of receiving the Grace of Final Perseverance, so that his soul will be saved. A very great Grace from our Loving God! Every Catholic child should make these 9 Fridays as soon as possible after his first Holy Communion. And we should make 9 years, 90 years of First Fridays, and not stop after 9 months, to win salvation for others also!

In the Bible, God reveals that if He loves all in general, His Sacred Heart has a special love for those who are deeply devoted to that Heart, those of whom He can say, that they are men or women after His own Heart (1 Sam 13:14), as He could say it, of King David, of St. John the Apostle, or of our Immaculate Mother.

Second Point: The Sacred Heart of Jesus easily helps us fulfill our vocation to be Saints

Do you know all Christians have a vocation from God, not only Bishops, Priests and Religious? Yes, lay Christians have a vocation. But what vocation? Namely, to become saints, because all are called to strive after sanctification and pursue perfection. Thus Our Lord told us to be Perfect just as God is Perfect (Mat 5:48). This is our Christian vocation, to strive to be Saints: it is the teaching of the Church, and it is called, Universal Call to Holiness, in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council: 40: The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition.

He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life: “Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect”. (216) (2*) Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength (217) and that they might love each other as Christ loves them. (218) The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works, but according to His own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord Jesus, because in the baptism of faith they truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature.

In this way they are really made holy. Then too, by God’s gift, they must hold on to and complete in their lives this holiness they have received. They are warned by the Apostle to live “as becomes Saints”,(219) and to put on “as God’s chosen ones”, holy and beloved a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience”,(220) and to possess the fruit of the Spirit in holiness.(221) Since truly we all offend in many things (222) we all need God’s mercies continually and we all must daily pray: “Forgive us our debts”(223)(3*)

Thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; (4*) by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly as they have received it, as a gift from Christ. They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many Saints in Church history.

Promise #8 of the Sacred Heart assures us even those of us who are currently tepid, weak or lukewarm in the Faith, if we complete the Novena of Nine Communions on Nine First Fridays, can quickly advance to a perfect faith, and to a perfect holiness after it, because God’s Graces are so much lavished on those who love His Heart alone.

The 12 Promises  of Jesus to those devoted to His Sacred Heart

Jesus revealed to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque 12 promises to those who practice devotion to His Sacred Heart:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

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Nishant Xavier lives in Chennai, India. He works in investment banking. He has a great desire that India will be blessed and enriched with the wealth and treasures of the Gospel and the Sacraments. He wishes to work for the uplift of the poor and so that India may become the most advanced, prosperous and successful nation in the world. You can reach out to him anytime with questions or thoughts on [email protected]