Week 2: The Twelve Promises

Continuing this series of brief articles to draw attention to the 350^th anniversary (1674 – 2024) of the devotion to Jesus’ Sacred Heart, to be celebrated Friday, June 7^th (or Sunday June 9^th), we now turn to “the twelve promises” as they have been called. Jesus made these promises  in regard to those who would attempt to console him in the ongoing passion related to our own distance from him and how much he desires to draw us closer. They have been relayed  to us in the testimony of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and confirmed by her confessor and spiritual director St. Claude La Colombière. They were recognized and extended to all the faithful by Pope Leo XIII inasmuch as one practices this devotion to Jesus’ Sacred Heart sincerely, and regularly.

The Twelve Promises of Jesus Regarding Devotion to His Sacred Heart

• “I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.”

Who doesn’t want to be successful in the role God has given them in this world–be it as spouse, father, mother, priest, or religious? Don’t we long to hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)? Yes, and that means we also should long for any and every means by which this most important of our vocational realities might be fruitful.

• “I will establish peace in their homes.”

All day long people slave to provide for their family and its welfare; but of what benefit is such sacrifice when there is division in the family! Brother against brother, wife against mother in law. Some parents are at their wits end with their children over the choices they make, the trouble they get into. If heavenly grace is available in a special way by means of this devotion to the Sacred Heart, yes, yes, Lord we want it!

• “I will comfort them in all their afflictions.”

Jesus told us that we would have to carry our crosses like he had to carry his. Darn, if that isn’t the whole of life or at least seem like it at times! And  the worst causes of suffering are not physical but mental and emotional. “Does anybody know? Does anybody see? Does anybody care? Does God know/see/care?” Comfort in all our afflictions is a really worthwhile promise!

• “I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.”

If you don’t have enemies you are likely a friend of the world and “part of the problem” as they say. A true believer lives in such a way that sinners react, provoked in spirit, seared in conscience, caused to resent the other person’s virtue because it bears witness against them. This results in undeserved persecution, the only consolation for which can be found in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Put your confidence in him; Jesus will be your “refuge” in life and in death, be one’s enemies earthly or angelic.

• “I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.”

King David set to music the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90, the last verse of which implores, “May the favor of the Lord be upon us. Prosper the work of our hands; prosper the work of our hands.” There are many things we value in life and many goals we work toward; of what use are any of them without meaning, without purpose, frustrated, accounted “wasted effort” and best forgotten? Invoke this promise by devoting your “undertakings” to the Sacred Heart and watch them prosper!

• “Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.”

Yes, we are sinners; and by the nature of sin we fear punishment, even when we know correction is in our own best interest. This promise is nothing other than a reassurance that we need not worry what kind of reception we will find, for “mercy” is literally a synonym for compassion in the context of  one party having offended another, with forgiveness and reconciliation needed.

• “Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.”

So many people wonder, “Why should I go to church when I don’t get anything out of it?” Sure, if it is merely a chore to be performed, only a task to be checked off, it IS burdensome. But make this comparison: If you have to do something anyway, isn’t it better to enjoy it? A “whistle while you work” mentality? This is a valuable promise whereby the practice of religion–a thing so pleasing to God for the effect it has upon men and women–might become enjoyable. Wouldn’t you like your time for prayer / worship to be  something you look forward to?

• “Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.”

And for those who already practice religion well, sincerely, they shall find in it a source of strength for all the moral virtues. Moral virtue is defined as a durable disposition by which one promptly, efficiently, and with enjoyment understands the good to be done / evil to be avoided, commits to an appropriate course of action, and succeeds in the act and its attendant conditions or dependencies. What righteous man or woman would not desire assistance with such potentially formidable obligations!

• “I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored.”

Following Old Testament prohibitions, some Christian denominations avoid artistic depictions of divinity or holiness. True, it’s the way “things”  used to be–that is, until God became man and then one could paint and sculpt images of Jesus (and the saints) without them being blasphemous or idolatrous. So, as Catholics,  we love our images! Jesus loves images, too, as evidenced by his many words to St. Margaret Mary about promoting this one (under various renderings) in particular. Be it in the home or the workplace, one’s car, a church or a community gathering space, the presence of an image of the Sacred Heart is meant to be a source of inspiration and frequent pious glances / intention. Left to merely fill a space on the wall or gather dust on a pedestal would not be practicing the devotion and neglecting the display would not own the promise.

• “I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.”

It is the particular duty of the laity to bring others to church where they might hear the preaching of the priests, convert, and themselves begin to regularly receive the Sacraments of Initiation. It is often at risk of reputation and relationships that we open up about who we are and extend such an invitation to others we care about. And it is incredibly discouraging to see priests who don’t take their role seriously, or even when they do, to see that there is little effect on the ones we bring to them. This promise embodies what we hope to see as a result of our efforts.

• “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.”

We do not work in the vineyard of the Lord for any earthly reward. We don’t even work for the sake of a heavenly reward, though God will indeed make sure that we are rewarded for every effort exerted on His behalf. But the greatest “reward” and the only one we should be focused on (lest anything else distract us) is to have a relationship with the Lord! He makes us sons and daughters, He calls us His own! That God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit know us by name and relate to us personally is a wonderful thing. This promise further emphasizes the individual nature of such personal as well as personality-based realities.

• “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 their sacraments. My divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.”

This final and greatest promise of our Lord requires the most explanation to understand. It is a sticking point in Catholic theology that one cannot rely upon Scripture or the Tradition of the Church–“public revelation”–to assert that one shall in fact be among the saved. This, despite the same Church having been given all the necessary and sufficient means by which to save people and those people having indeed made worthy reception of them. Simply put, people retain free will and as long as we are still alive someone might choose to reject it all and therefore be among the lost. But the Church doesn’t expect this result. No, quite the contrary. By sincerely living a life immersed in Sacramental grace and personal prayer, one truly does prepare well for his or her final moments upon this earth, that final trial, literally by death.

But, the Church does also, with equal emphasis, insist upon the reality of personal prayer and non-sacramental grace in our lives … according to what is called “private revelation”–essentially God, Jesus, Mary and the Saints making personal assurances to anyone to whom they wish about such things as extra-Sacramental means to persevere under trial or in regard to final perseverance itself. The whole devotion to the Sacred Heart is private revelation. It has been approved by various popes, and recommended to us as not being in conflict with any Catholic beliefs. Yet, an assurance this private revelation is not opposed to public revelation is not an identification of the two with each other. Thus, it is left to personal initiative to participate in the various acts of consecration, observances, etc. rather than the Church mandating it.

 With the above as a theological basis for understanding the text,  Christ himself via what has become referred to as “first Friday practice,” addresses a latent issue within the devotion, namely: What is devotion; what does it consist of; what does it look like? Devotion on his part he has already described, many times, elsewhere,  by referencing both his historical passion as well as the pains which we still bring to his heart by our own sin, ingratitude, and indifference. Thus, he has, in at least this one regard, for this promise, chosen to declare what the “devotion” is which he is expecting from us.

Note that for practical reasons, the Church has elsewhere itself determined in terms of Confession and reception of Communion what is required and when–what those necessary forms of Sacramental devotion themselves mean, and to which this final promise explicitly or implicitly refers. But let us not worry, here, about either juridical practices or the other extreme of  superstitions practices. The summons is to be close to Jesus’ Heart and regularly attentive to him in a personal relationship such that one will be able to make the necessary commitment of time and resources to prioritize him above all else in our lives. Nine Fridays in nine consecutive months is very little to ask from us considering what we receive in return.

Further, it is evident in this description that Jesus describes the minimum of what our devotion should look like. It is optional what one might do which is above and beyond it. For example, it is safe to speculate that many people who make the nine First Fridays conditioned within this particular promise end up doing it again and again–exactly because it has become a habit which they have successfully acquired–because that was the point of the whole thing! Simply put, the Lord  has in their regard been successful in such souls, and has by the flame of his  love set fire to their hearts as well. Not that the perpetual observance of First Fridays is required; rather that the one time observance of First Fridays will have formed a practice in you of  perhaps “third  Thursdays,” or “second Saturdays,” or  “whenever Wednesdays” (all made up names) which are truly inspired as one regularly  as well as randomly stops in to make visits to Jesus in the Tabernacle or at pre-planned times of Adoration. In sum, the goal is to effect both the stability and the spontaneity of actually being in love with your God.

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Wow, where else can you find such meaningful promises! And you get twelve of them; it can be overwhelming. Which three are most important to you at the moment? Which three would you seek for your loved ones? Which three would you ask for your friends? Which three would you petition for those who consider themselves your “enemies”?

References for additional reading:

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/twelve-promises-and-great-promise-sacred-heart

https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/12-promises-sacred-heart-of-jesus-2-6075

Article 1: Devotion to the Sacred Heart, Introduction
Article 2: The Twelve Promises
Article 3: Keeping Jesus Company, and Being in His Company
Article 4: His Love Is Real and Brings Us Hope