It was July 22, 1647. France was already bleeding from the Thirty Years’ War. Now, civil war threatened to tear it apart. But in the Alacoque home, four little boys danced and shouted with glee — for at last, they had a little sister!
The little one, half-asleep and swaddled snugly, was blissfully unaware of her brothers’ joy. And her happy family, in turn, had no way of foreseeing the fire she would ignite in the heart of the Church.
Loss and heartache
Margaret, as the little one came to be named, grew up surrounded by love, laughter, and prayer. But when she was 8, everything changed. Her father, Claude, died suddenly. The family was plunged into poverty and left at the mercy of unkind relatives, who gained control of the family home — and their lives.
Heartbroken and mistreated, Margaret would flee to the Blessed Sacrament each day. Kneeling there, her little hands folded before the golden tabernacle, she would whisper all that was in her heart to Jesus. And sometimes, as she knelt in silence, a warmth would fill her soul…and then He would come.
Her Friend and Saviour. Standing before her, radiant and real. These divine visits never surprised her; in her innocence, she simply thought that this was what it meant to love Jesus and be loved by Him.
A forgotten vow
By the time Margaret turned 17, the family fortunes were restored, and she was living the normal life of a teen in France. One night, she returned home as usual from a party, looking resplendent in the latest French fashion. Suddenly, she froze.
There in the room standing before her was Jesus! Not glorious. But bloody and scourged.
Her hands began to tremble. And as her eyes met His, she wept. She remembered the vow whispered years ago as a young teen — to give her life to Him.
It took time. She wrestled in silence. But eventually, she told her family of her decision to enter religious life. Her mother and brothers begged her not to go. But Margaret’s heart was set on her Saviour. And so in 1671, she walked away from all she knew and stepped into the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial.
She was now called Sister Margaret Mary.
A mission for Jesus
Life in the convent wasn’t easy. Margaret was sickly and quiet and misunderstood by most. Once again, she turned to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In His presence, she spent many hours, praying, adoring, simply being.
It was the evening of December 27, 1673. The chapel was empty, but for Margaret. Unwilling to leave, she barely noticed how her knees hurt. A sudden stillness descended upon the chapel. And there stood Jesus before her once again. Radiant but wounded.
“Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and is so little loved in return.”
Margaret listened and looked on, in awe. She fell to the ground as Jesus showed her His human Heart, beating and aflame. Full of love. Full of pain.
That was but the first of many such meetings that would take place over the next two years. Jesus gave her a mission that would become her life: The little French nun was to tell the world of His Sacred Heart, his twelve promises, and the burning love He holds even for those who neglect Him.
Heart on fire, Heart ignored
What did Jesus reveal to St. Margaret Mary?
He didn’t show her a throne. Or a crown. He showed her His heart, pierced through, cut open, full of thorns. Burning and bleeding. With sorrow, Jesus spoke of the “coldness and contempt” that He receives in exchange for His great love. This, Jesus told her, was “more grievous” than His Passion itself.
Let’s pause here, shall we, and take this in?
A sorrow greater than His Passion? Greater than all the scourging and the bone-breaking agony of the Cross?
It’s hard for me to imagine this. How deep is the pain that Jesus must feel when He sees my coldness!
When I think more about my Sunday outfit than about the One I am going to receive. When I finish my chores, scroll a little, even find some time to unwind, but somehow cannot find ten minutes to draw close to Him in deep conversation.
The stone-cold truth hits me: I break His Heart.
No filter, just love
The message St. Margaret received is more relevant today than ever before. The world has probably never been more distracted — or more indifferent. There are WhatsApp messages to respond to. Inboxes to clear. News reels to watch. Where is the time to pause in our quick-scrolling days? But the Sacred Heart of Jesus flips that equation.
He invites us not just to pause but to rest in His Heart. To set aside filter-perfect pictures. To receive His unfiltered love.
Even after being rejected and forgotten, He still calls. He invites us to enter His wounded side, receive His mercy, and begin anew. How do I respond to this? To a God whose logic-defying Heart was torn apart not just for me but because of me, and yet He invites me in?
I can only throw myself upon His mercy and resolve never to forget Him again. Never to begin my day without a heartfelt prayer to His Sacred Heart. Never to take for granted His merciful love that forgives all I do. Never to miss a chance to pray for those who need my prayers. Never, never, never again to put anything before Him.
And I invite you too, dear friend, to do the same: Set aside your phone or your laptop. Come first to His Sacred Heart each day. Enter through His pierced side and stay there. No words are needed.
Just show up and spend time, heart-to-Heart.
In His love,
If you want to go deeper and live out this devotion in a more powerful, transformative way, read on…
