St John Eudes & Immaculate Heart of Mary

About this sermon

The 17th Century French home missionary St. John Eudes saw the problems of France as flowing from an ill-formed clergy. France during his time was also suffering from the heresy of Jansenism which was condemned in St. John’s lifetime by Pope Innocent X in 1653 (re-condemned by Pope Alexander VII in 1656). Like the Pharisees, a Jansenist often placed too much emphasis on external acts as well as their own opinion. Thus they could look holy on the outside by their actions and behavior but their heart was hardened and cold. They always thought they knew better than the clergy … which is not surprising given the state of things. Thus, St. Francis de Sales described their works as “Pharisaical phantoms of virtue.” Whenever most of the people are not striving for holiness, this is a danger for those who do. They can stand out so easily and begin to take themselves too seriously. St. John sought various remedies… among them devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He helped to establish the feast of the Holy Heart of Mary which was celebrated for the first time in 1648, and that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1672. The Mass and Office proper to these were composed by Father Eudes, who thus had the honor of preceding St. Margaret Mary in establishing the devotion to the Sacred Hearts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of “Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary.” Pope St. Pius X acclaimed him to be “the father, the Doctor, and the Apostle of the Devotion to the Sacred Hearts”, in his decree of Beatification. For more please visit http://reginaprophetarum.org/#/ & remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest