The Sacred Heart And The Priesthood

"My priest is My other self; I love him, but he must be holy." Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche (1868-1915), a Visitation sister, was commissioned first by Our Lord, then by her religious superiors to write THE SACRED HEART AND THE PRIESTHOOD based on her lifetime conversations with the Divine Master. Its purpose is to strengthen the souls of priests in the love of their sublime vocation and unite them more than ever to Jesus Christ, the eternal Priest and to give the faithful a Greater confidence in an more religious and filial respect for the orders of the sacred hierarchy. (p. xxxii) The Holy See has declared her writings to be in conformity with the teachings of the Church and has sanctioned the organization of priests, which she had drawn up under the name of The Priests Universal Union of the Friends of the Sacred Heart. A gift for seminarians, priests and anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of this vocation. Impr. 224 pgs. PB "To do My work, to extend the reign of love, priests must be full of it themselves, and it is to My Heart that they must come to draw it." Christ to Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche

IN the order of grace as in the onler of nature, in the usual course of things no phenomena are seen, no events occur which have not been brought about by a gradual process. In everything there is an organic connection and continuity, and from the tender germ, the small and feeble beginning, the plant is developed until it reaches perfection in the brilliant blossom or fully matured fruit. In like manner the devotion to the Sacred I-Ieart of Jesus did not appear all of a sudden in the Church, as a meteor in the nightly firmament; during the centuries preceding its introduction and propagation, its rise was long foreseen and the hearts of the faithful 'were prepared to' welcome it. It may be asserted with perfect justice that the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dates h'om the foundation of the Church. For its theological basis rests upon the principal and most well-known truths of our holy faith, and the sacred humanity of Our Lord was from the outset venerated and adored; hence it would be strange if Christian sentiment and love for Christ had never led the faithful in the first centuries to iric1ude the cultus of the Sacred Heart of the Redeemer in their practices of piety and devotion. .And if in the earliest ages of Christianity little definite evidence is found to substantiate this fact, yet there are unmistakable elementary indications and traces of this devotion both in the writings of St. Paul, and also in those of St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom.

In The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood, Father Thomas Acklin presents an apologetic for that which is immutable?that which cannot change since it is found in the unchanging heart of Christ. Father Acklin refutes modern misconceptions and false understandings of the priesthood, while uncovering the beauty, strength, and hope that is found in God's plan. This book will encourage the heart of every priest and help the laity to understand and appreciate the reality and mystery of the priesthood in the Church. In The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood Father Thomas Acklin presents an apologetic for the immutability of the priesthood?that which cannot change since it is found in the unchanging heart of Christ. Father Acklin refutes modern misconceptions, while uncovering the beauty, strength, and hope that is found in God's plan, bringing the reader to an appreciation of the reality and mystery of the priesthood in the Church.

Priesthood - the Love of the Heart of Jesus is an anthology of reflections about the Priesthood of Jesus Christ written by seventeen Priests and Bishops during the Year for Priests. Proceeds from the sale of Priesthood - the Love of the Heart of Jesus will be donated to a cause beneficial to Priestly formation in mission territories or other situations of individual financial need. Reflections in this anthology were written by: Francis Cardinal Arinze, Rev. Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R., Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Father Gregory Fairbanks, John Patrick Cardinal Foley, Bishop Paul S. Loverde, Monsignor Michael Magee, Father Shawn McKnight, Rev. Joseph McLaughlin, O.Praem., Monsignor Francis X. Meehan, Rev. Donald Miniscalco, C.Ss.R., Rev. Brian Mulcahy, O.P., Father James Rafferty, Bishop Edward M. Rice, Justin Cardinal Rigali, Father Paul Scalia.

Originally given in 1978, this address by CUF founder and former president H. Lyman Stebbins is as pertinent today as it was 25 years ago. In it he discusses the priesthood we each have in virtue of our Baptism and the family as the Domestic Church. He teaches these concepts in a way that is easy to understand, and also gives practical advice for how to integrate them into today’s busy family lives and routines, so that every family can be formed into a mini-Church, shining in the darkness and noise of today’s world.

Messages given by Our Lord to Mother Louise Margaret (1868-1915) about the burning love of the Sacred Heart for men. 274 short extracts from her intimate notes; conferences and letters. Says God demands docility to His will and absolute confidence in His paternal love and that His very essence is "Infinite Love." These writings have been translated into many languages and been spread far and wide.