Devotion to the Sacred Heart

In her writings, the servant of God, Blessed Elisabetta Renzi gave several accounts of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, truly dominant in the nineteenth century. In one of these writings she tells us : ” Our heart is satisfied only in the enjoyment of God and his Sacred Heart.”

Elisabetta wanted to obtain before she died a great love for God, and especially for the heart of His Divine Son and the heart of Mary. She was accustomed to take refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus in moments of difficult and tension. Elisabetta gave particular attention to venerating images of the Sacred Heart; before them she would always pause reverently, looked at them a little, and when went away heartened, ending often with binding resolutions: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

For the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, the devotion to the Sacred Heart affirms the primacy of the love of God and neighbor in our lives. Mother Elisabetta challenged her sisters, “To imitate Jesus in His life of sacrifice, it would be enough to offer continuously to His loving heart the discomforts, annoyances, and troubles that are inherent in my weak nature and present condition. Let us think immediately that this is our opportunity, the time in which we can prove our love to Him who has loved us even too much.”

The sisters’ readiness to serve their neighbor stems from their love for God, which is only enriched through their meditation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “With the wounded and merciful heart of Christ being the wellspring of life and holiness in the Church, we should be solicitous to draw water with joy from the fount of the Savior in order to learn to live in true charity.”
(Constitutions of the Congregation)

Community Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus