In July of 1647, Margaret Mary Alacoque was born. Margaret's parents, Claude and Philiberte, were simple but moral people who raised a devout youngster who placed a strong emphasis on God. Margaret suffered a crippling sickness from the age of 9 to 13 and lost her father when she was eight years old. Apart from her illness and father's passing, Margaret and her mother had a terrible time for a number of years due to a dispute over the family's assets.

Margaret vowed to embrace convent life when she was unwell. But throughout her adolescent, she had second thoughts. She considered getting married and enjoyed the typical social events of her day for a while, leading a comparatively ordinary existence.

But one night, returning from a dance, she had a vision in which she saw Christ being crucified, and that vision transformed her life. Margaret chose to enter a convent at the age of 22 because she felt she had betrayed Jesus by choosing to follow worldly pleasures over her religious calling.

Margaret had a remarkable experience of Christ's presence during prayer two days after Christmas in 1673. She heard Christ say that he wanted to promote devotion to "the heart that so loved mankind" as a unique means of demonstrating his love for all people.

A series of subsequent private insights occurred to her about humanity's obligation to thank Jesus and how to react via both public and private devotion, but the convent superior wrote this off as a delusion.

The nun was devastated by her discharge, which had such a negative impact on her health that she almost passed away. Margaret's spiritual guide, however, was the Jesuit priest Father Claude de la Colombiere, who arrived in 1674. He recorded her account in writing because he found it credible.

Fr. de la Colombiere left the convent to work as a missionary in England. By the time of his return and eventual death in 1681, Margaret had come to terms with her experiences seeming to be disregarded. She had attained a state of inner peace under St. Claude's guidance, and she was no longer troubled by the animosity of people in her neighborhood.

But eventually, as they considered what St. Claude had written about the Sacred Heart, many of her detractors would come around. Officials from the Church would eventually scrutinize her writings and the stories told about her.

But by the time that happened, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had already attained her goal of "losing myself in the heart of Jesus." With bravery, she confronted her final sickness and prayed Psalm 73 often, saying, "What have I in heaven, and what do I desire on earth, but Thee alone, O my God?"

She passed away on October 17, 1690. She was beatified on 18 September 1864 by Pope Pius IX and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on 13 May 1920. She is the patron of those suffering with polio, devotees of the Sacred Heart and those who have lost their parents.

Other Saints of the Day
St. Lull
St. Gerard Majella
St. Bertrand of Comminges
St. Colman of Kilroot
St. Florentinus of Trier