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Devotion to The Sacred Heart of Jesus
From 1647-1690, Fr. John Croiset, S.J., served as spiritual director to the quiet nun whom Our Lord Jesus Christ chose to reveal His Sacred Heart. It was in this capacity that he composed a volume entitled The Devotion to the Sacred Heart published in 1691.
As the author neared completion of his work, Saint Margaret Mary told him that Our Lord had communicated to her that the book was totally in accord with His wishes and that no changes to the book were needed.
This book comes from the pen of a man intimately familiar with every aspect of the revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary. This book is the key to understanding the importance and the centrality of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As the author neared completion of his work, Saint Margaret Mary told him that Our Lord had communicated to her that the book was totally in accord with His wishes and that no changes to the book were needed.
This book comes from the pen of a man intimately familiar with every aspect of the revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary. This book is the key to understanding the importance and the centrality of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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First published December 11, 1691
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 26, 2024
It would not be difficult to highlight this entire book; there is so much spiritual wisdom in it. As a child I can recall an over-large picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in my paternal grandmother’s living room which could not but help catch one’s attention upon entering. Somehow even from a very young age, I understood the flaming heart represented the burning love Christ has for us; maybe because I have that same unquenchable insatiable love—heart recognizing Heart. Not saying it hasn’t been turned down very low at times, perhaps almost extinguished by my own follies, yet always redeemed by His Love.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is simply—if something so marvelous can be simple—total, complete, pure devotion of oneself to Jesus. The book, Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by John Croiset, was written in 1863, almost two hundred years after St. Margaret Mary received her visions from Jesus, so it has the benefit of history, although that is not its purpose. It is available in PDF to read on-line if one so wishes, here. But it is also available in free and lost cost editions suitable for kindle and e-book.
The first part of the book is concerned with the motives and what is meant by Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The second part focuses on the four dispositions required for this devotion: 1.) a great horror of sin; 2.) a lively faith; 3.) a great desire to love Jesus Christ; and, 4.) interior recollection. This is the longest and most useful section, or was for me anyway.
The third part dealt with the practice of the Devotion itself, especially: Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Mass, Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Practices for the Feast of Corpus Christi, First Fridays and daily devotion. This was my favorite part of the book and where I spent the most time highlighting sections which resonated with me.
The fourth section consisted of meditations, which I did not read now because they were for specific times and events. However, I do plan to use them as often as possible because they look so very inviting!
Highly recommended, whether you know a lot about the Sacred Heart of Jesus or nothing at all. The heart, or heart-shape, has long been recognized as the metaphorical or symbolic sense of the center of emotion, including and especially, love. The broken or wounded heart indicates love betrayed by the other. In Jesus’s case, His Heart is on-fire, for us. It always burns for us, no matter what. And indeed, we have done much over the centuries which could—should have extinguished that love, but hasn’t. It is the Love beyond all Loves!
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is simply—if something so marvelous can be simple—total, complete, pure devotion of oneself to Jesus. The book, Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by John Croiset, was written in 1863, almost two hundred years after St. Margaret Mary received her visions from Jesus, so it has the benefit of history, although that is not its purpose. It is available in PDF to read on-line if one so wishes, here. But it is also available in free and lost cost editions suitable for kindle and e-book.
The first part of the book is concerned with the motives and what is meant by Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The second part focuses on the four dispositions required for this devotion: 1.) a great horror of sin; 2.) a lively faith; 3.) a great desire to love Jesus Christ; and, 4.) interior recollection. This is the longest and most useful section, or was for me anyway.
The third part dealt with the practice of the Devotion itself, especially: Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Mass, Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Practices for the Feast of Corpus Christi, First Fridays and daily devotion. This was my favorite part of the book and where I spent the most time highlighting sections which resonated with me.
The fourth section consisted of meditations, which I did not read now because they were for specific times and events. However, I do plan to use them as often as possible because they look so very inviting!
Highly recommended, whether you know a lot about the Sacred Heart of Jesus or nothing at all. The heart, or heart-shape, has long been recognized as the metaphorical or symbolic sense of the center of emotion, including and especially, love. The broken or wounded heart indicates love betrayed by the other. In Jesus’s case, His Heart is on-fire, for us. It always burns for us, no matter what. And indeed, we have done much over the centuries which could—should have extinguished that love, but hasn’t. It is the Love beyond all Loves!
July 17, 2024
There is no comparison to human friendships that can help us understand the friendship that Our Lord wants to have with each of us.
A friendship can start with an act of charity, sharing a risk, a struggle or cause.
However, even the best friendship can be undone by a careless word or a misunderstanding but with Our Lord He wishes to give us His Sacred Heart. Only that image and this devotion can start to help us see how deep He wants His friendship with us to be.
A friendship can start with an act of charity, sharing a risk, a struggle or cause.
However, even the best friendship can be undone by a careless word or a misunderstanding but with Our Lord He wishes to give us His Sacred Heart. Only that image and this devotion can start to help us see how deep He wants His friendship with us to be.
October 13, 2021
A devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most efficacious practices one can make in their spiritual lives.
July 22, 2019
Great book that presentst very concret ways to practice the devotio to the Sacred Heart. It is a book that can help to any person (consacrated, priest, lay).
Fr. Croiset presents a very solid doctrine about the Sacred Heart and how this devotion can be lived on a daily basis.
Fr. Croiset presents a very solid doctrine about the Sacred Heart and how this devotion can be lived on a daily basis.
September 15, 2020
A spiritual treasure!
This book will draw you closer to the sacred heart of Jesus. It will help you understand how much the Lord has done for you and for humanity. It will also help you understand just how little we love him, how indifferent and ungrateful we are to him, and how much we actually despise him (even those of us who profess to be his followers). In this book, you will discover one of the greatest gift that Jesus has bestowed on humanity. It is a gift that so many people ignore. A gift that has the power to transform our life and the world radically, if only we can discover it and recognize it for what it is.
This book will draw you closer to the sacred heart of Jesus. It will help you understand how much the Lord has done for you and for humanity. It will also help you understand just how little we love him, how indifferent and ungrateful we are to him, and how much we actually despise him (even those of us who profess to be his followers). In this book, you will discover one of the greatest gift that Jesus has bestowed on humanity. It is a gift that so many people ignore. A gift that has the power to transform our life and the world radically, if only we can discover it and recognize it for what it is.
June 1, 2013
Love the book, but would like to see it updated into modern language one day. The 'thee/thou' style of prose does lend a lot of beauty to the work, particularly the appendix full of prayers in the back, but with a work so dense as this it is sometimes helpful to have a more common/readable style.
February 7, 2023
Mixed Review
There is much to appreciate about this book. The opening pages are gorgeous. There are some lovely short prayers in the back of the book. The priest clearly cares very deeply about Our Lord and how much He is abandoned by the great majority of His people. He did a fine job of convicting me in a way that I had been blind to.
However, this book had its problems as well. The editing can be pretty awful. One piece of incorrectly written Latin worked out to “Crucify I am!” Lots of missing “the”s as well.
But even putting aside the superficial, the book was problematic. I don’t tend to read modern spiritual authors because even if they themselves aren’t modernists the heresy is so all pervasive that unless someone fights with all their might (or has a singular grace), they almost can’t help but have modernist residue. This book reminds me of that phenomenon—just in Jansenist residue. I am not saying it is heretical, merely that there is a rigorist bent to it that I doubt the author realized.
Father Croiset stated over and over again that no one cared about Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and at least implied that no one ever would. Begs the question, then why he wrote the book. It’s one thing to speak of the remnant faithful as a lamentably small group. But sometimes he acted as if there was no one left at all—or at least not worth mentioning due to defilement.
But if we grant this to him, and we’re all thoroughly beyond-the-pale wretched, his solutions seem to lack a certain pedagogy. For example, we are supposed to visit the Eucharist five times on the day of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. If the diagnosis is that we are all spiritually dead, then this seems like a leap from zero to marathon that is destined to fail as spectacularly as a coach potato putting on running shoes and heading immediately for the big race.
I also notice very few marks of humility in this author’s writing. Usually a saintly writer takes pains to let you know what a small contribution his little thoughts might bring about next to all the great masters. Not only is this absent from Devotions to the Sacred Heart, but he actually advises the reader which parts of his own book should be re-read and when during key times of the year dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Full disclosure is that I have scruples, so some of my not gelling with this book is likely on me. But at the same time I was reading Father Croiset, I was also reading the great French Abbot Lehodey. His work is every bit as challenging spiritually, but it doesn’t have that same abrasive, repetitive, impossible to not get yelled at quality that this book has.
In the end, it was probably worthwhile to have read this for the reminders it provided. However I can’t see me reading it again, nor recommending it to any but the most phlegmatic of souls.
There is much to appreciate about this book. The opening pages are gorgeous. There are some lovely short prayers in the back of the book. The priest clearly cares very deeply about Our Lord and how much He is abandoned by the great majority of His people. He did a fine job of convicting me in a way that I had been blind to.
However, this book had its problems as well. The editing can be pretty awful. One piece of incorrectly written Latin worked out to “Crucify I am!” Lots of missing “the”s as well.
But even putting aside the superficial, the book was problematic. I don’t tend to read modern spiritual authors because even if they themselves aren’t modernists the heresy is so all pervasive that unless someone fights with all their might (or has a singular grace), they almost can’t help but have modernist residue. This book reminds me of that phenomenon—just in Jansenist residue. I am not saying it is heretical, merely that there is a rigorist bent to it that I doubt the author realized.
Father Croiset stated over and over again that no one cared about Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and at least implied that no one ever would. Begs the question, then why he wrote the book. It’s one thing to speak of the remnant faithful as a lamentably small group. But sometimes he acted as if there was no one left at all—or at least not worth mentioning due to defilement.
But if we grant this to him, and we’re all thoroughly beyond-the-pale wretched, his solutions seem to lack a certain pedagogy. For example, we are supposed to visit the Eucharist five times on the day of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. If the diagnosis is that we are all spiritually dead, then this seems like a leap from zero to marathon that is destined to fail as spectacularly as a coach potato putting on running shoes and heading immediately for the big race.
I also notice very few marks of humility in this author’s writing. Usually a saintly writer takes pains to let you know what a small contribution his little thoughts might bring about next to all the great masters. Not only is this absent from Devotions to the Sacred Heart, but he actually advises the reader which parts of his own book should be re-read and when during key times of the year dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Full disclosure is that I have scruples, so some of my not gelling with this book is likely on me. But at the same time I was reading Father Croiset, I was also reading the great French Abbot Lehodey. His work is every bit as challenging spiritually, but it doesn’t have that same abrasive, repetitive, impossible to not get yelled at quality that this book has.
In the end, it was probably worthwhile to have read this for the reminders it provided. However I can’t see me reading it again, nor recommending it to any but the most phlegmatic of souls.
May 25, 2020
The Devotion To The Sacred Heart of Jesus/ How to Practice The Sacred Heart Devotion by Fr. John Croiset, sj was written in 1694. It is a book of meditations and is best appreciated when read piece by piece. I'm saving this book to read during Eucharistic Adoration. The language needs to be updated but the thoughts come across.
It is a complete study of the sacred heart of Jesus. Many visions from St. Mechtilde to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, are examined. Encyclicals and books are quoted to explain the sentiments needed to appreciate the devotion to the sacred heart. I have too many tabs marking important passages I want to meditate on. The book is difficult but still a keeper.
It is a complete study of the sacred heart of Jesus. Many visions from St. Mechtilde to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, are examined. Encyclicals and books are quoted to explain the sentiments needed to appreciate the devotion to the sacred heart. I have too many tabs marking important passages I want to meditate on. The book is difficult but still a keeper.
March 6, 2025
I read an abridged version, containing only parts I and II of the four parts, which was sent to me from America Needs Fatima.
The message in this book is eye-opening and necessary for all Catholics to hear. However, the book itself is very difficult to read. Each word is so valuable in describing how weak we are as humans without the love found in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I don’t foresee myself being able to stomach the unabridged version, as even the 101-page abridged version took me a full month to finish. There is so much to digest about our failings and how to overcome them if we want to achieve sainthood.
The message in this book is eye-opening and necessary for all Catholics to hear. However, the book itself is very difficult to read. Each word is so valuable in describing how weak we are as humans without the love found in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I don’t foresee myself being able to stomach the unabridged version, as even the 101-page abridged version took me a full month to finish. There is so much to digest about our failings and how to overcome them if we want to achieve sainthood.
April 2, 2021
This is THE book on devotion to the Sacred Heart. I didn't really understand this devotion previously; this book is a great tool in that regard. It helped me to realize that devotion to the Sacred Heart is very concrete, not just some abstract concept. In particular, this book really emphasizes Eucharistic Adoration, and it provides plenty of prompts for meditation. Highly recommended.
January 27, 2024
I didn't really understand First Fridays and the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus until I read this book. The sections on obstacles to the Sacred Heart such as: tepidity, self-love and self-pride are especially memorable. This is an efficacious guide to the path of sainthood. There are parts of this book I have tabbed so I can keep coming back to them again and again.
March 24, 2020
A beautiful book that will at the very least bolster your love for Jesus, and at the most bring you to sainthood.
Well written and organized. I used it as a daily devotion, reading a few pages every day.
Well written and organized. I used it as a daily devotion, reading a few pages every day.
August 2, 2025
Beautiful, I highlighted sooo much of this book. Parts were a little hard to read for me and I would have to read them over again. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is pure love, freedom, friendship, and sacrifice.
October 15, 2025
What a beautiful Catholic tradition - that leads to greater intimacy with Jesus. I highly recommend this book, as it is so comprehensive.
*A nice surprise were the weekly Friday meditations and prayers at the end of the book.
*A nice surprise were the weekly Friday meditations and prayers at the end of the book.
August 18, 2024
This took me over 2 years to read because it was so dry. I'm so grateful I preserved and made it through. It is filled with infinite wisdom and advice.
October 4, 2024
Very concise and direct. Enjoyed learning about how Saint Margaret Mary came to be devoted and how we too can be devoted.
December 14, 2024
Somewhat difficult translation to read, due to the original being written in French, and in 1863. However, I did finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2025
Lo volvería a leer
April 4, 2015
Very serious devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lots of meditations in this book. Includes different meditations for every Friday, daily and monthly devotions, acts of reparation and consecration. Lots of explanation in first two thirds of the book. Explains state of mind you should have, who should do these devotions, who should NOT do these devotions. Includes suggestions on how much time to spend on the devotions and how often to visit the Blessed Sacrament. Very worthwhile book to have, even if you will be meditating only at home. I will be using this book often.
Lots of meditations in this book. Includes different meditations for every Friday, daily and monthly devotions, acts of reparation and consecration. Lots of explanation in first two thirds of the book. Explains state of mind you should have, who should do these devotions, who should NOT do these devotions. Includes suggestions on how much time to spend on the devotions and how often to visit the Blessed Sacrament. Very worthwhile book to have, even if you will be meditating only at home. I will be using this book often.
November 20, 2012
This is a wonderful book. Not only does it teach you the method of praying, but also gives you history. My book is filled with sticky flags pointing out inspirational lines. Its definitely a book I will read again and again. I can't recommend it enough.
May 21, 2023
I want to build a cloister in His Sacred Heart ♥️.
May 17, 2012
Very inspiring!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews