Graces to receive There are few things we need more as a country than the graces Jesus promised to give to those who practice devotion to the Sacred Heart, conveyed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The traditional list is: 1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. 2. I will establish peace in their homes. 3. I will comfort them in their afflictions. 4. I will be their secure refuge during their life, and above all, in death. 5. I will bestow abundant blessings on their undertakings. 6. Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. 8. Fervent souls will quickly mount to high perfection. 9. I will bless every place in which an Image of My Heart is exposed and honored. 10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart. 12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving the Sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. Sit with these promises. Take them with you to Adoration, or spend time praying over them while venerating the Divine Mercy Image. Ask God to help you appreciate them, and thank Him for them. These are extraordinary, blessed promises. Join the Marian Fathers online on DivineMercyPlus.org, YouTube, and Facebook every First Friday at 8 p.m. ET for devotions to the Sacred Heart, and every First Saturday at 11 a.m. ET for devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as an “Explaining the Faith” talk by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. Marian Helper • Summer 2026 • Marian.org 27 was encircled with a crown of thorns, which signified the pricks our sins caused Him.” Without a doubt, our Savior commissioned St. Margaret Mary to spread devotion to His Heart, all aflame with love, as the healing remedy for a world full of cold hearts and broken hearts. Several American saints took up the devotion in a big way. Consider St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who worked tirelessly to establish Catholic healthcare and educational services, especially for poor immigrants); St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (who established the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first religious community for women founded in America, and the first parish school, laying the foundation for the parochial school system in the United States); St. John Neumann (fourth bishop of Philadelphia, who organized the first diocesan parochial school system in the nation, and established numerous churches, schools, and orphanages); and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (who brought the Society of the Sacred Heart to the American frontier, creating schools for Native Americans of the Midwest, and earning from the Potowatomi the name “Woman Who Prays Always”). In short, the saints of America have always united their deep love for the Heart of Jesus with compassionate outreach to the lost, poor, and suffering, and encouraged the devotion, especially on First Fridays. Prayer and good works Perhaps no one worked with greater zeal to bring all of society under the reign of the Heart of Jesus than the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in France, Venerable Fr. Leo Dehon (1843–1925). His life and witness show that the desire to offer consoling reparation to the Heart of Jesus must not be restricted to pious acts of devotion to the Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament: It must also bear fruit in the service of human need and the pursuit of social justice. For Fr. Dehon, these two commitments — love of the Sacred Heart and a commitment to meeting the needs of the poor and suffering — were deeply connected. But Fr. Dehon certainly could not be categorized as someone who reduced Christian discipleship to social action alone. Note the title of his monthly magazine: The Reign of the Heart of Jesus in Souls and in Societies. Both are necessary, and each is bound up with the other. Souls remade in the furnace of love of the Heart of Jesus can’t help but radiate compassionate love to all those He loves so ardently. In short, the saints of America have always united their deep love for the Heart of Jesus with compassionate outreach to the lost, poor, and suffering, and encouraged the devotion, especially on First Fridays. So in this special year celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of our country, conceived in liberty and the pursuit of justice for all, let’s set the roots of America deep within the Heart of our Savior, who alone can heal our divisions, transform hearts, and sanctify our whole nation, “from sea to shining sea.” Dr. Robert Stackpole is the director emeritus of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy. Follow the U.S. bishops’ Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on usccb.org/weholdthesetruths.
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