The Crown of Thorns Which Surrounds the Sacred Heart
1. When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary, He showed her His Heart encircled by a crown of sharp thorns. What was the significance of this? In Heaven Jesus is happy and cannot suffer any more. The Angels, Saints and the whole of creation sing a hymn of unceasing praise in His honour. Nevertheless, He sees the immense tide of sin which surges forth from the human race which He redeemed by His Precious Blood, a redemption now made futile by many. He is aware of the insane blasphemies hurled by so many against His lofty throne. He sees how His gifts, His sacraments and His graces are abused by many. He sees, finally, the number of privileged souls, often consecrated to His service, who are indifferent and ungrateful while they should be trying to make reparation for the evils of mankind by their love, prayers and penances. The explanation for this mystical crown of thorns lies in His infinite love. He does not suffer any more, because He cannot suffer, but He still has an immense love for all men, even for sinners and for those who are lukewarm and ungrateful. He loves and wishes to save all men. In spite of their sinfulness and ingratitude, He still calls them appealingly to His Heart, which they by their sins have crowned with thorns and pierced with a lance.This is a mystery of love which we cannot properly understand. Only a man who loves Jesus fervently can even have the slightest understanding of it. If we sincerely love the divine Heart of Jesus, we shall realise that these sharp thorns which once pierced His Heart in Gethsemane and on Calvary were caused by our sins. Then we shall do our best to make a generous return for such love and to make reparation, even with grave sacrifice, for the offences which are still being committed by men against the loving Heart of the Redeemer.
2. There are many ways of showing our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of making reparation for our sins and for the sins of mankind. We can console ourselves with the reflection that by these acts of love and reparation we are removing the thorns which encircle the Heart of Jesus. The simplest ways of doing this are by prayers, ejaculations, and expressions of love directed towards the adorable Heart of our Redeemer; and by visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In silence and recollection before the Tabernacle we shall feel the Heart of Jesus beating with love and shall offer in return for His infinite love the affection of our poor hearts.
We can also receive Holy Communion in reparation. When Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, it will be easier and more pleasant to offer Him our love and expiation. We can make reparation also by practicing the devotion of the First Fridays of the month. This pious practice, so pleasing to the Heart of Jesus, aims at being a mass offering of love and reparation for the sins of the entire human race.
3. We can also make reparation by voluntary penances or at least by offering up our daily sufferings in a spirit of loving generosity. But the course most pleasing of all to the Sacred Heart is the continual imitation of His outstanding virtues in such a way as to become living reproductions of our adorable Redeemer.
"Sacred Heart of Jesus, convert poor sinners."
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