The Catholic Defender: The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Promise 8

(8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. This promise makes perfect sense, the more you hand over the reigns to the Lord, the more Jesus is going to bless you. Kind of like watching a production or display of puppets on a string. We turn the strings over to Christ who is King of kings and Lord of lords. People forget that Jesus is sovereign Lord and when we think we can hold on to the strings, we loose control eventually.

Consider the 15 promises Our Lady gives for praying the Rosary, this promise of the Lord closely resembles the tenth promise of our Lady, "The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven." I also think the thirteenth promise fits as well, "I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death."

The Lord is calling us to give not 25%, not 50%, not 75%, but Jesus wants 100% of us, you give Him your strings, He can do something great through you. We are to reach out to Him to do His will in our lives. Psalm 119:95-96 states, "The wicked hope to destroy me, but I seek to understand your testimonies. I have seen the limits of all perfection, but your commandment is without bounds." Giving the Lord our strings is more like a guard rail like following His Commandments. Jesus helps us not to follow the path of the wicked.

Matthew 5:44-48 states, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Jesus is calling us to be perfect imitating God the Father and in doing so, the Lord will help us in this. We are all a work in progress, but the Lord will give us strength to accomplish His task is we are faithful. Not necessarily successful, sometimes the Lord will put obstacles in the way simply to show one, our faithfulness, and two, that it is the Lord working through you. Iron sharpens iron and the Lord is sometimes tearing us down to build us over again. I know that mindset being in the Unites States Army over 26 years.

St. Paul is basically saying this as well, Philippians 3:12 states, "It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus]." In short, we are a work in progress.

Psalms 19:8-9 states, "The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye." When you look at the Sacred Hear of Jesus, He is not a blind guide, Jesus is not going to steer you wrong. I love also the image of the Divine Mercy, "Jesus I trust in you". This eighth Promise of the Lord is showing the obvious, the more fervent you are with your passion, your right motivation grounded in our love for God, the more Jesus can work through you.

Isaiah 25:1 says it all for me, "O LORD, you are my God, I extol you, I praise your name; For you have carried out your wonderful plans of old, faithful and true." God is faithful and when Jesus offers a promise, we can know that He can back it up, we can place all our hope there in Him. Proverbs 3:5-8 says it this way, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the LORD and turn away from evil; This will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones."

Because we are human and we will stumble and fall and sometimes lose our way, Jesus is always there to welcome you back. He gave us the "Ministry of Reconciliation" to help us when we fall. Be faithful in the small things, you will grow to be faithful in bigger things as the Lord gives you more responsibility. Make the Mass the center of your life placing the Lord's word deep in your hearts, you will become immovable.

O' Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace(s) which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.