The Wisdom of the Saints about the Sacred Heart (part 3)

“There is no remedy so powerful against the heat of concupiscence as the remembrance of our Saviour’s Passion. In all my difficulties, I never found anything so efficacious as the wounds of Christ. In them I sleep secure. From them, I derive new life.” St. Augustine of Hippo (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“It is a great honor to be imprisoned for Jesus Christ, and St. Paul calls himself by this most honorable title, ‘a prisoner of Jesus Christ’, when his body is bound by chains of iron and his soul by chains of love. But what will it be for a man to hold God prisoner by love? If it is great wealth not to possess one’s heart because it has been given to God, what will it be to possess God’s Heart as our own? For God gives His Heart to those to whom He gives His love, and after giving His heart, He gives all that He is. Without doubt we belong entirely to the one to whom we give our heart.” St. John of Avila (15th-16th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“God’s love is seated within the Savior’s Heart as on a royal throne. He beholds through the cleft of His pierced side all the hearts of the children of men. His Heart is king of hearts, and He keeps His eyes fixed on our hearts. Just as those who peer through a lattice see clearly while they themselves are only half seen, so too the divine love within that Heart, or rather that Heart of divine love, always sees our hearts and looks on them with eyes of love, while we do not see Him, but only half see Him. If we could see Him as He is, O God, since we are mortal men we would die for love of Him, just as when He was in mortal flesh He died for us, and just as He would still die for us were He not now immortal.” St. Francis de Sales (16th-17th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is not only the temple and the altar, but also the censer of divine love…In that precious censer all the worship, praise, prayers, desires and affections of all the saints are placed, like so many grains of incense to be offered to God.” St. John Eudes (17th century)

“…it was not so much the thought of His Passion that afflicted the Heart of our Redeemer, as the ingratitude with which mankind would repay His love.” St. Alphonsus Liguori (17th-18th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

 
“Let us open the door of the Sacred Heart, and shut ourselves in for a moment amidst its divine flames; we shall then realize what God’s love means.” St. John Vianney (18th-19th centuries)

 
“But how will the divine Heart of Jesus make itself known? It manifests itself to us by the sentiments with which it inspires us; that should suffice. Besides, who could contemplate the beauty and the goodness of this divine Heart? Who could stand the brightness of its glory, the consuming and devouring flames of this fire of love? Who would dare look at this divine Ark, on which is written its gospel of love in letters on fire; in which all its virtues are glorified; in which its love has its throne, and its goodness all its treasures? Who would want to penetrate into the very sanctuary of the Godhead? The Heart of Jesus! Why, it is the heaven of heavens, in which God Himself dwells and finds His delights! No! We do not see the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus! But we possess it; it is ours!…This Heart watches over us; while our Savior, enclosed in a frail Host, seems wrapped in impotent sleep, His Heart remains awake…It watches over us whether we think of it or not; it knows no rest…” St. Peter Julian Eymard (19th century)

“Nothing therefore prevents our adoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ as having a part in and being the natural and expressive symbol of the abiding love with which the divine Redeemer is still on fire for mankind. Though it is no longer subject to varying emotions of this mortal life, yet it lives and beats and is united inseparably with the Person of the divine Word and, in Him and through Him, with the divine Will. Since then the Heart of Christ is overflowing with love both human and divine and rich with the treasure of all graces which our Redeemer acquired by His life, sufferings and death, it is therefore the enduring source of that charity which His Spirit pours forth on all the members of His Mystical Body.” Ven. Pope Pius XII (19th-20th centuries)

“…only a Power great enough to control the heavens could ever solace the individual heart…the Providence of God…was powerful enough to control the collective planets of the universe, and yet careful enough not to neglect the burden that weighed on a single heart…The sovereign balm for every wounded heart comes only from Him from Whose fingertips there tumbled planets and worlds…Sadness of human hearts cannot be explained by any philosopher on this earth, but only by God Who is powerful enough to make the stars and Who holds the secret of healing in His Own Divine Heart…He Who made the heavens and lived for humanity spoke His tenderest love when His audience was one listener. Everyone else is too weak to heal a broken heart. He alone can do it Who counts the stars.” Ven. Fulton Sheen (19th-20th centuries)