Learning to be Quick to Listen

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690) was a humble Visitation nun whose life was transformed by profound mystical experiences that would forever change Catholic devotion. Born in Verosvres, France, Margaret Mary struggled with illness and a difficult family life before entering the convent at Paray-le-Monial. It was within the quiet walls of the cloister that she began to receive visions of Jesus Christ , who appeared to her, revealing his burning love for humanity and lamenting the indifference with which his love was often met. The most significant of these apparitions was the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Christ specifically requested that a feast day be established to honor his Sacred Heart and that Catholics practice the First Friday Devotion and the Holy Hour of reparation, encouraging all to make amends for the world's coldness toward God's love. Despite facing skepticism and resistance from her community and superiors, Margaret Mary remained steadfast...