When it comes to the riches of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, we must spread it far and wide. If you are not already convinced we should promote this devotion, here are the promises of Our Lord Himself for those who become "Apostles of the Sacred Heart":
FIRST PROMISE FOR APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
"My Divine Master;' writes St. Margaret Mary, "showed me the names of several persons written in letters of gold on His Sacred Heart, names of which He will never allow to be effaced. These are the names of the persons who have labored the most to make His Sacred Heart known and loved."
SECOND PROMISE FOR APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
"The Sacred Heart of Jesus has such a great desire to be known, loved and honored by men; He wishes so ardently to establish the empire of His love in all hearts by destroying in them the empire of Satan, that He promises great recompenses to all those who devote themselves with their whole hearts to establishing the reign of His Sacred Heart according to the lights and graces which He gives them."
THIRD PROMISE FOR APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
In addition to the friendship of the Divine Heart, the apostles of the Devotion are assured of the protection of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints, especially of St. Margaret Mary.
She writes: "Oh! what happiness for us and for all who contribute in making the loving Heart of Jesus known and glorified! For they will draw down upon themselves the friendship and eternal blessings of this unique Love of our hearts. The Blessed Virgin will be their special protectress, she will assist them in attaining to the perfect life."
FOURTH PROMISE FOR APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
The apostles of the Sacred Heart will make rapid progress in virtue. The Sacred Heart of Jesus will sanctify and glorify them.
"The loving Heart of Jesus," writes St. Margaret Mary, "has made known to me that He will take care to sanctify and glorify us before His Heavenly Father in the measure in which we exert ourselves to procure glory for Him and to increase the reign of His love in the hearts of men."
FIFTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
The apostles of the Sacred Heart will receive the grace of the pure love of God. "The zeal with which you labor to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus known and loved will gain for you in an ever increasing degree the crowning gift of the pure love of God."
SIXTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
The apostles of the Sacred Heart will draw down special blessings on their native land and on their families.
"Oh! what happiness for those who contribute to making the adorable Heart of Jesus known, loved and glorified! By what means they will secure a powerful Protector for their native land."
SEVENTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
Great blessings are reserved for the works of zeal undertaken by those apostolic workers who propagate the devotion to the Sacred Heart. They will make great conversions.
"My divine Savior," writes St. Margaret Mary, "assured me that those who labor for the salvation of souls will have the art of touching the hardest hearts and will obtain marvelous success, if they themselves are animated with a tender devotion to His Divine Heart.
"He will penetrate the most unfeeling hearts by the words of His preachers and faithful friends. He will so pour out the sweet unction of His ardent charity with such strong and powerful graces on their words that He will make them like a flaming sword which will cause the most frozen hearts to melt in His love. The words of these apostles will be like two-edged swords, which will penetrate the most hardened hearts and make the holy fountain of penance spring up in them, purifying and sanctifying the most obstinate sinners and rendering them susceptible to the love of this Divine Heart. By this means the most criminal souls will be led on to salutary penance."
EIGHTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
It will be given to the apostles of the Sacred Heart to understand the inestimable value of the Cross, and they will obtain strength and consolation in their difficulties.
"The adorable Heart of Jesus," writes St. Margaret Mary, "wishes to establish the reign of His pure love in all hearts. Happy are those whom He will employ to aid Him to establish His reign! But He did not tell me that His friends would have nothing to suffer, for He wishes them to make their greatest happiness consist in tasting its bitterness."
NINTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
The apostles of the Sacred Heart will obtain the grace of final perseverance and of a holy death.
TENTH PROMISE FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE DEVOTION
The Sacred Heart Itself will be the reward of Its apostles. "Happy are those," writes St. Margaret Mary, "whom the Sacred Heart of Jesus will employ in establishing His reign. For it seems to me .that It is like a king who thinks only of recompensing His friends while He gains victories and triumphs over His enemies. When this Heart reigns victorious on Its throne, It will be Itself their eternal recompense."
