MESSAGE OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS TO THE FOUNDER OF OUR CONGREGATION OF BENEDICTINES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
“On Friday, the 13th of December, 1839, I was transported in spirit to the centre of the altar, that is, to the place where the priest stands to offer the Holy Sacrifice. I appeared to be on my knees, and I saw in spirit the Tabernacle open, and Our Lord partially issue from it, and make the sign of the cross on my forehead with the first finger of His right Hand. I remained for an instant filled with wonder, nevertheless my imagination was not active, I was in a purely passive state. I saw and I felt in spirit, I admired, but I did not act. A moment later, our Lord made with the same Finger a cross on my heart, my surprise and my wonder were redoubled and my heart bounded as it felt the impression of the Divine Finger. Finally, our Lord, always with the same Finger, and after the interval of a second, made the sign of the cross on my mouth.The cross on the forehead denoted intelligence and intrepidity, the cross on the heart, the love of God and the burning zeal. Suddenly I felt myself urged to say to Our Lord. “But what pledge, Lord, dost Thou give me that this project be accomplished?”. ‘My Heart’ Jesus immediately replied, and He seemed to be holding It in His Hands and presenting It to me from out the Tabernacle.” (The life of Jean Baptiste Muard, 1886, Burns and Oates, pags. 116,117)
The Sacred Heart of Jesus revealed Himself to Father Muard a second time:
It was at his last Christmas Mass, at the second memento. Our Lord deigned once more to speak to him and give him a fresh and most consolatory reassurance concerning the work to which He had called him. He dwelt strongly on five points.
1.- He confirmed all that He had previously made known to him regarding the new Congregation.
2.- He told him how dear it was to Him
3.- He promised that it should flourish
4.- That it would be a school of martyrs and confessors of the faith for the time of His last coming.
5.- That the members of this congregation, by whom He meant above all to designate the first, whom He had chosen as the foundations, must be saints, great saints, that such was His express will, and He repeated this several times, and always with increased emphasis.
And upon P. Muard representing to the Divine Savior his own unworthiness, his extreme weakness, and incapacity for all good, our Lord replied that He would give all the necessary graces, let them only confide in Him. Finally, He promised P. Muard a special personal favor or, father, reiterated a promise which He had more than once made to him. On the following days our Lord gave him a fresh confirmatory promise of all these things. It was in the very grotto where St Benedict received five special graces or precious privileges for his order (Pags. 312,313, idem)