[Rank]
S. Margaritae Mariae Alacoque Virginis;;Duplex;;3;;vide C6

[Rule]
vide C6
9 lectiones

[Hymnus Matutinum]
@Commune/C6:Hymnus Matutinum 1

[Oratio]
O Lord Jesus Christ, who unto the holy virgin Margaret Mary didst in wondrous manner reveal the unsearchable riches of thy Heart, grant us, by her merits and example, that loving thee in all things, we may obtain an abode in thy Heart for evermore.
$Qui vivis.

[Lectio4]
Margaret Mary Alacoque was born of a respectable family in a village in the diocese of Autun.  From her earliest years she gave signs of holiness.  Filled with a burning love of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the august mystery of the Eucharist, while still a young girl she dedicated her virginity to God.  Above all else she strove to realize in her life the performance of Christian virtues.  She delighted to spend continuous hours in prayers and in meditation upon the things of heaven.  She was humble, and patient in adversity.  She practised bodily penance.  She was charitable towards her neighbours, especially the poor.  By every means within her power she strove diligently to imitate the most holy example left by our divine Redeemer.

[Lectio5]
Margaret entered the Order of the Visitation.  There her life became immediately a shining example to others.  God endowed her highly with the gift of prayer.  He gave her other favours, such as frequent visitations.  The most famous of these was that one when Jesus appeared to her as she knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  Opening his breast he revealed his divine Heart glowing with flames and encircled with a crown of thorns.  He bade her in return for his excessive love and in atonement for the insults of ungrateful men, to seek to have established public adoration of his Heart.  This devotion he promised to enrich with treasures of heavenly grace.  When, out of humility, she hestitated to undertake so great a task, the loving Saviour encouraged her.  At the same time he pointed out Claude de la Colombiere, a man of great holiness, as one who could guide and help her.  Our Lord also comforted her with the assurance that very great blessings would accrue afterwards to the Church from the worship of his divine Heart.

[Lectio6]
Margaret strove ardently to fulfil the Redeemer's command.  Vexations, even bitter insults were her portion from some who maintained that she was subject to mental aberrations.  She not only bore these sufferings patiently, she even profited by them, offering herself in anguish and reproach as a victim acceptable to God, bearing all things as a more sure means of accomplishing her purpose.  Renowned for her religious perfection, becoming each day more closely united with her divine spouse by contemplation of celestial things, she took flight to him in the forty-third year of her age, and in the year of restored salvation 1690.  She became famous for miracles.  Benedict XV added her to the list of the saints ; Pius XI extended her office to the universal Church.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 11:25-30
At that time : Jesus answered and said : I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.  And so on, and that which followeth.
_
Homily of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop
!Sermo 23 in die Pentecostes alter circa medium
There is no other true knowledge given but that which is given by the Holy Ghost.  And this is granted to the humble only.  Have we not known great theologians who spake marvellously of the virtues but did not practise them?  Have we not seen, on the contrary, many women who did not know how to discourse on the virtues, practise the works of virtue worthily?  The Holy Spirit hath made these wise because they had fear of the Lord, piety and humility.

[Lectio8]
!Fragmentum sermo 16, in III Dominica post Pentecostem, initio
Our Lord is the great and excellent physician of all our infirmities.  Before he came into the world he announced openly to his prophets, I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which is weak.  Finally with his own lips he invited us, saying, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  What wonder is it, then, if we see him surrounded by the sick, by sinners, and by publicans.  Is it not the glory of the physician to be sought out by the sick? 

[Lectio9]
!Fragmentum serm. 10 pro Feria II post Pascha, in fine
The Lord beareth our miseries and ennobleth them.  He layeth our miseries to his Heart ; he sheweth his side.  It is meet then, that we should make some return to him, lest he who now sheweth us his wounds out of love, may one day shew them with wrath and indignation.  Grant, O good Jesu, that we may receive the peace which thou dost offer and let us see thy wounds.  Since there remain faith, hope and charity, grant that, rooted in faith, rejoicing in hope, glowing in charity, we may await thy coming in the blessed expectation that we may see thee as the Lamb upon the right, and not as the lion on the left.  May clear sight take the place of hope, and, to our imperfect charity may there succeed that perfect charity in which we may rejoice forever and ever.  Amen.

[Lectio94]
Margaret Mary Alacoque was born of good parents in a village of the diocese of Autun, and even from her early years gave signs of her future sanctity.  Burning with love for the Virgin Mother of God and for the august Sacrament of the Eucharist, as young woman she vowed her virginity to God.  When she had entered the Order of the Visitation, she began to shine at once with the brightness of the religious life.  She was adorned by God with the highest gifts of prayer, with other gifts of grace and with frequent visions.  The most celebrated was this : when she was praying before the Eucharist, Jesus shewed himself to her with his Heart burning with flames and encircled with thorns, in his open breast, and he commanded that, in return for such love and to expiate the injuries of ungrateful men, she was to strive to institute the public cult of this Heart, promising in return great treasures of heavenly grace.  She was famous for her religious perfection and, by the contemplation of divine things, each day she became more united with her heavenly Bridegroom.  To him she went in the forty-third year of her age, in 1690.  Renowned for miracles, she was numbered among the Saints by Benedict XV.  Pope Pius XI extended her Office to the universal Church.
&teDeum

