Margareta Maria Alacoque

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Margareta Maria Alacoque
Christ appears to St. Margareta Maria Alacoque, painting of the side altar of the hospital church in Eferding, Upper Austria
Christ appears to St. Margareta Maria Alacoque, painting of the side altar of the hospital church in Eferding, Upper Austria
Born July 22, 1647 (Verosvres, France)
Deceased October 17, 1690 (Paray-le-Monial, France)
beatification September 18, 1864 by Pope Pius IX.
canonization May 13, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
Holiday October, 16th
Patron saint polio sufferers, orphans, devotees of the Heart of Jesus
Attributes Heart of jesus

Margareta Maria Alacoque (* July 22, 1647 in Verosvres , Burgundy; † October 17, 1690 in Paray-le-Monial ) was a nun and mystic and is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church .

Life

Childhood and youth

Margareta Maria ( French : Marguerite-Marie) Alacoque was born on July 22nd 1647 in Verosvres in France (Burgundy). She was the fifth of seven children of the notary Claude Alacoque and his wife Philiberte, née Lamyn. Margareta Maria was baptized three days after her birth, on July 25, 1647. Her godmother was a noble relative named Marguerite de Saint-Amour. The Alacoque family lived house to house with the Laroche family, into whom Claude Alacoque's sister Benoîte married. The relationship between the two families was very bad, which shaped Margareta Maria's childhood. From 1651 to 1655 Margareta Maria was taken by her godmother to her castle Corecheval. When the father died in 1655, the child returned to the mother. After the death of their father, the Alacoques had no choice but to come to terms with the Laroches for financial reasons. Now more than ever, the Laroches took advantage of every opportunity to torment the Alacoques.

In 1656 Margareta Maria came to the boarding school of the urbanists in Charolles . There she received her first communion in 1659 at the age of twelve . A short time later she became seriously ill. She was therefore sent back to Verosvres, where she was more or less bedside for about four years. Her recovery was so surprising that one speaks of a "wonderful healing". After the healing, Margareta Maria began to lead the normal life of a sixteen year old. She enjoyed attending dance events that they took her older brothers to. However, her mother's serious illness forced her to devote herself entirely to caring for her mother. When an attempt was made to marry Margareta Maria as quickly as possible, she resisted because she wanted to enter a monastery .

Entry into the monastery and life in the Visitation

On June 20, 1671, Margareta Maria Alacoque entered the Order of the Visitation of Mary ( Salesian Sisters ) (founded in 1610 by Saints Francis de Sales and Johanna Franziska von Chantal ) in Paray-le-Monial . On August 25, 1671, she was dressed as a novice, and a year later, on August 25, 1672, she made her solemn profession . Her life in the Visitation Monastery was very difficult. As a child and adolescent, she already had several visions that accumulated after entering the monastery. Her sisters mocked and humiliated her for it. Margareta Maria was also commissioned in her visions to point out grievances that had become common among the sisters. Margareta Maria's superior, Marie-Françoise de Saumaise, sensed something divine behind this co-sister, but she felt unable to judge it herself. She therefore ordered Margareta Maria to write down her life story and her visions so that two priests could form an opinion. The priests urged great caution and assumed that Margareta Maria was either possessed or insane.

Visions

Christ reveals his heart to Margareta Maria Alacoque (right) and Maria Droste zu Vischering

On December 27, 1673, Margareta Maria had a vision in which Jesus Christ commissioned her to work for the veneration of his divine heart. In the following year and a half, three more visions followed, in which Jesus Christ asked Margaret to work to ensure that every first Friday of the month and the second Friday after the feast of Corpus Christi should be dedicated to the special veneration of the heart of Jesus .

Margareta Maria received special support from the holy Jesuit Claude de la Colombière . In 1675 he became rector of the newly established Jesuit college in Paray-le-Monial. He was also the Salesian Sisters' confessor . Even at his first spiritual conference he noticed Margareta Maria. She herself heard the voice of God that this was the priest who would support her in her mission to promote the devotion to the Sacred Heart . Several discussions took place. Colombière declared Margareta Maria neither possessed nor insane, but encouraged her to continue on her way. He himself wanted to do everything in his own way to worship the heart of Jesus. After a year, Colombière had to leave the city again. However, he stayed in contact with Margareta Maria by letter.

With the departure of Colombière, Margareta Maria lost her "protector" again. The sisters gave free rein to their displeasure. On the evening of November 20, 1677, Margareta Maria was commissioned in a vision to publicly say in front of the entire community that God had chosen her as an “atonement” for the sins of the sisters because they were not ready to change. Margareta Maria was insulted, shouted at, mocked. Later, when she was on her way to her cell, she was attacked by a group of sisters. They tore off her veil and beat her wildly. The next day, the sisters deeply regretted their behavior and began to be more polite with Margareta Maria, but remained reserved.

The successor of Matron de Saumaise, Péronne-Rosalie Greyfié, tried to keep the peace in the monastery, but did nothing to get Margareta Maria more recognition among the sisters. Nothing changed when Claude de la Colombière returned to Paray-le-Monial. The superior still did not stand up for Margareta Maria in the community, but in her personal conversations she encouraged her. During this time, Margareta Maria was often sick for months and then suddenly recovered. Understandably, this caused renewed resentment in the community. Margareta Maria was described as a hypocrite who only faked her illness in order not to have to take on any work in the community.

Novice mistress

Claude de la Colombière died on February 15, 1682 . In 1684 a new superior was elected: Marie-Christina Melin. This appointed Margareta Maria as her assistant, in 1685 even as novice master . The reason for this change of attitude was again due to Father Colombière, whose writings on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus were published after his death and read daily during meals in the refectory . As a result, the opinion of Margareta Maria changed for many of her fellow sisters. In addition, another Jesuit, Fr. François Rolin, became a confessor of the monastery and recognized the importance of Margareta Maria. He asked her to write down her entire life story, which is still preserved today.

As a novice master, Margareta Maria developed a completely new self-confidence. Her own painful experiences as a nuns made her patient, gentle and very wise in dealing with those who entered the monastery and were introduced by her to the spirituality of the Order of Visitation . July 22nd, 1685, her birthday, became a special date. The novices wanted to give her a special birthday party, but she said she would be much more happy if they offered all the honors to the Heart of Jesus. So it came about that in the monastery of Paray-le-Monial the heart of Jesus was venerated for the first time by several sisters together in one devotion, this form of devotion was retained.

Spread of the devotion to the Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart of Jesus representation of Saint Margaret Maria Alacoque

The two Margaretas brothers, Jacques and Chrysostomus, had a chapel built in honor of the Heart of Jesus in the village of Le-Bois-Sainte-Marie and they campaigned to inspire the whole village to worship the Sacred Heart.

In 1687 Margareta Maria was replaced from her position as novice master. At first she became an assistant to the nurse, and later she became the educator of those girls who were accepted into a kind of small boarding school in the monastery. After the new superior was elected, she became her assistant again.

In 1688 and 1689 she had further visions of devotion to the Sacred Heart. As a result, she asked the French king, Louis XIV , to consecrate all of France to the Heart of Jesus and to build a church in Paris in honor of the Heart of Jesus. This mission was only fulfilled around two hundred years later with the construction of the Sacré-Cœur basilica on the hill of Montmartre in Paris . A separate chapel was built in the monastery to worship the Sacred Heart. The community of the monastery was completely changed in its relationship with Margareta Maria. They even wanted to elect her superior, which Margareta Maria refused in 1690. Catherine-Antoinette de Lévy Châteaumorand was elected in her place.

Two Jesuits, Jean Croiset and Joseph-François Gallifet , began to spread devotion to the Heart of Jesus outside the Visitation monastery.

In the late summer of 1690, Margareta Maria felt that she would soon die. As she kept getting sick, the community did not take this very seriously. However, on October 8th, she was so weak that she could not get out of bed. Although the doctors could not find any disease of concern, she said she would die. On October 17, 1690 at around 7 p.m., she received the anointing of the sick in the presence of all her fellow sisters . An hour later she died at the age of 43. Her last word was "Jesus".

There was almost a commotion at her funeral, as the population was convinced that Margareta Maria was a saint and therefore wanted to touch her coffin one last time. She is buried in the monastery of the Visitation of Paray-le-Monial.

effect

Appearance of Jesus to the nun Margareta Maria Alacoque, carved in wood by Johann Baptist Moroder 1910

Margareta Maria Alacoque was born on September 18, 1864 by Pope Pius IX. blessed - and on May 13, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. canonized . Her feast day is October 16 .

Despite the efforts of individual Jesuits, the introduction of the Sacred Heart Festival was initially rejected. However, one began to found brotherhoods of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , which spread from 1690 to 1740 in France, Poland, Spain, Italy and Germany. It was not until 1765 that Pope Clement XIII allowed . a separate votive mass in honor of the Heart of Jesus, but only in Poland and for the Order of the Visitation. Finally, in 1856, Pope Pius IX celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Introduced in the Church worldwide. Pope Leo XIII. raised the festival to solemnity in 1899 . In the 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor , Pope Pius XI. the importance of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the entire Church.

In particular, Pope Pius XII. pointed out in the encyclical Haurietis aquas the extraordinary importance of St. Margareta for devotion to the Sacred Heart. Pope Pius XII wrote: “But certainly takes first place among those who have promoted this worthy form of devotion, St. Margareta Maria Alacoque, who, with the help of her soul guide, Blessed Claudius de la Colombière, inflamed with holy zeal, managed to introduce this form of cult, so much encouraged, with the strong admiring approval of the Christian faithful and through the distinctive characteristics of love and atonement was distinguished from other forms of Christian piety. "

Adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is still one of the most widespread forms of piety in the Catholic Church. In addition to the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus after Corpus Christi , every first Friday of the month is celebrated as Sacred Heart Friday , usually with the suspension of the most holy sacrament of the altar and a sacramental blessing .

There are prayer communities and brotherhoods that have dedicated themselves to the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a special way, the most famous of which is the Arch-Brotherhood of the Guard of Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The members pledge themselves for life to devote one hour each day to worshiping the Heart of Jesus in prayer. The German directorate of the honor guard is in Uedem (Lower Rhine).

Quotes

  • We have to show the authenticity of our intentions more through works than through words (quoted from Hildegard Waach, Margareta Maria Alacoque. Messenger of the Heart of Jesus, Eichstätt 1992, page 147)
  • Worshiping the Heart of Jesus is not so much saying prayers as making oneself conform to one's virtues (Waach, 151)
  • Jesus Christ knows no compromise solutions. He wants all or nothing. (Waach, 151)
  • Suffering and loving in suffering, that's what I was born for. (Waach, 156)
  • Let us make our hearts empty of everything earthly, loving towards our neighbor and generous towards the poor. (Waach, 159)
  • Do not worry, but have great confidence in the Savior's merciful goodness. (Waach, 163)
  • Whoever says pure love says yes to pure suffering (Waach, 163)
  • Be poor in everything and the most sacred heart will make you rich. Become empty of everything and this heart will fill you. (Waach, 165)

literature

Web links

Commons : Margareta Maria Alacoque  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ↑ Josef Schwendimann: Adoration of the Sacred Heart Today? P. 39 (see literature)
  2. ↑ Quoted from the German translation by Haurietis Aquas in [1] chap. IV. (See web links)
personal data
SURNAME Alacoque, Margareta Maria
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French religious sister, mystic and saint
DATE OF BIRTH July 22, 1647
PLACE OF BIRTH Verosvres, Burgundy
DATE OF DEATH October 17, 1690
Place of death Paray-le-Monial