Chapter Fourteen
VIGIL HOUR BECOMES A NIGHT
As The Final Effort Reaches Its Climax
Over three hundred years ago, The Sacred Heart asked so little to do so much! To end the reign of Satan in the world, He asked only that the Church hold before the faithful the sign of His Heart. He asked for consecration to His Heart with frequent Communion, a special Communion of Reparation on First Friday, and for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. And there was one thing more:
He asked for an hour of reparatory prayer before midnight on the vigil of each Friday.
The world was slow in responding. Indeed, how many ever made those holy hours?
Satan's reign not only continued but increased to the point of militant atheism spreading from an atheist Russia throughout the entire world.
Then, He came with His Mother to make similar requests of devotion to Her Heart pierced, like His, with thorns.
She promised the conversion of Russia and the triumph of Her Heart. It would become the triumph of the Heart of Her Son.
The "final effort" was reaching its climax.
All In One Night
Altogether in the course of an entire month, only about six hours are needed to fulfill all the requests of both Hearts for the Friday vigils and the First Friday and Saturday Communions of Reparation.
Finally moved by the appeal of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pierced by our sins, thousands of generous souls have now been inspired to combine all those hours in one night a month, crying out: "For Your Two Hearts, a night of reparation...from the eve of First Friday to the morning of First Saturday!"
O, what a wonderful response to their final appeal of Love! How needed! How timely!
Jesus, Who had asked for Communions of Reparation on the First Friday, now revealed through Sister Lucia of Fatima: "The time is coming when the rigor of My Justice will punish the crimes of various nations. Some of them will be annihilated."
Then, appearing with His Mother as She asked for the First Saturday Communions of Reparation, He said: "Have pity on the Heart of your most holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them."
Now those who make the First Saturdays and the vigilers are responding to His great desire. He said: "I desire that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of My Mother be placed alongside devotion to My Own Sacred Heart."
Almost Perfect Response
An all-night vigil, from the First Friday evening to the First Saturday morning, would seem the almost perfect response to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary for reparation. It seems to fulfill in a special way the wish of Our Lord: "That devotion to the Immaculate Heart of My Mother be placed alongside devotion to My Own Sacred Heart.
Praising these vigils, Pope John XXIII said: "This is the cloister brought into the world!"
Thousands are now making these vigils all around the world. Yet amazingly few even know about them!
Cardinal O'Connor, speaking to vigilers in New York City said: "Very few of those whom the world considers important would have any idea that you are here now (making this vigil before the Blessed Sacrament) and will be here through the night. But Our Lord knows."
Yes, He knows.
And His Sacred Heart is consoled, not only by the adoration and the First Friday Communion His Heart asked of us, but also by our response to His plea to have pity on the Heart of His Mother and ours.
Fr. Armand Dasseville, O.F.M. Cap., after leading vigils for twenty five years, explained: "Night vigilers pray in reparation for the wrongs in society and to obtain special graces and mercy for a generally sinful and sick world... The vigils identify with Jesus and Mary in the redemption of the world."
This and other books by John M. Haffert
God's
Final Effort | Too Late? | The Day I Didn't Die