This Jesuit priest taught against the many heresies that had sprung up in the 17th century. He became the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and was instrumental in disseminating devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Claude was imprisoned in England and it was only by the efforts of Louis XIV of France he was not martyred. He was then banished from England but his health had been ruined in prison. He returned to Paray to die. The day after his death in 1682, Saint Margaret received supernatural assurance that Claude La Colombiere needed no prayers, as he was in already heaven. He is considred a "dry" martyr, having suffered every abuse for the faith but death.
He was canonized in 1992 by Pope John Paul II who had this to say of the Saint: The past three centuries allow us to evaluate the importance of the message which was entrusted to Claude. In a period of contrasts between the fervor of some and the indifference or impiety of many, here is a devotion centered on the humility of Christ, on his presence, on his love of mercy and on forgiveness. Devotion to the Heart of Christ would be a source of balance and spiritual strengthening for Christian communities so often faced with increasing unbelief over the coming centuries.
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"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth." – Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in a vision
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The sacred heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.
From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection in order to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unit to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.
This divine heart is an abyss filled with all blessings, and into the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.
Are you making no progress in prayer? The you need only offer God the prayers which the Savior has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God his fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness. In the course of every activity pray as follows: "My God, I do this or I endure that in the heart of your Son and according to his holy counsels. I offer it to you in reparation for anything blameworthy or imperfect in my actions." Continue to do this in every circumstance of life.
But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.
– from a letter by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Sister Margaret Mary's great love was the Blessed Sacrament. The sisters always knew where to find her—before the tabernacle. On Sundays and feasts, when she had more free time, she spent almost the entire day kneeling, immobile before the Blessed Sacrament. Surely Sister Margaret Mary's intense life of prayer and penance was preparing her for her mission, one of the greatest missions given to anyone! This mission began on the Feast of St. John, the Beloved Apostle, December 27, 1673.
The following June, the third revelation took place in which Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary: 'BEHOLD THIS HEART, WHICH HAS LOVED MEN SO MUCH, THAT IT HAS SPARED NOTHING, EVEN TO EXHAUSTING AND CONSUMING ITSELF, IN ORDER TO TESTIFY TO THEM ITS LOVE AND IN RETURN I RECEIVE FROM THE GREATER NUMBER NOTHING BUT INGRATITUDE BY REASON OF THEIR IRREVERENCE AND SACRILEGES AND BY THE COLDNESS AND CONTEMPT WHICH THEY SHOW ME IN THIS SACRAMENT OF LOVE. BUT WHAT I FEEL THE MOST KEENLY IS THAT IT IS HEARTS WHICH ARE CONSECRATED TO ME THAT TREAT ME LIKE THIS…'
The rest of Sister Margaret Mary's life was spent all for the honor and glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From St. Margaret Mary and St. Claude we learned how precious are the holy hours of adoration and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament.
