Homily for Mass on the occasions of the Veneration of the Relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Claude la Colombière
Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, Ennis, Friday, May 9th, 2025St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Claude la Colombière
Ever since coming to Killaloe Diocese almost 9 years ago I was taken by the reverence and devotion of the faithful here to both Our Lady and the Sacred Heart. In practically all Churches in the diocese the sanctuaries are adorned with statues of Our Lady on one side and the Sacred Heart on the other. Those of us of a particular generation will recall in our homes the image of the Sacred Heart so prominent on the kitchen walls. We recall as little children the eyes that seemed to follow us wherever we were in the room and the glow of the Sacred Heart Lamp that remained alight perpetually.
Pope Francis – Dilexit Nos – He Loved Us
Last October, Pope Francis of fond memory, God increase his glory in heaven put devotion to the Sacred Heart back on the world stage with his encyclical He Loved us. Little did he think it would be his last big communication, one could effectively say his last will and testament, that profound reflection on The Human and Divine Love of the heart of Jesus, “He loved us, Dilexit Nos”.
Saintly Examples
Today we gather with reverent hearts to venerate the relics of two remarkable saints: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Claude la Colombière. Their lives and the promptings of Pope Francis are not just distant echoes of holiness from the past; they are ongoing invitations to deeper love, trust, and surrender to the merciful Heart of Jesus.
St. Margaret Mary
St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun in 17th-century France, was chosen by the Lord for a special mission: to make His Sacred Heart known and loved throughout the world. In a time when many feared God’s judgment more than they trusted His mercy, the Lord revealed to Margaret Mary His desire: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men.” Through visions and mystical experiences, Jesus showed her the burning love of His Heart—a love wounded by indifference, yet overflowing with profound mercy.
St. Claude la Colombière
But Margaret Mary was not alone in this mission. God, in His providence, sent her a companion and spiritual guide—St. Claude la Colombière, a Jesuit priest and her confessor. In him, Margaret Mary found the one who would believe her, support her, and spread devotion to the Sacred Heart with clarity and conviction. Claude called her mission authentic and rooted in the Gospel. His obedience and fidelity became the human affirmation of a divine message.
Ní neart go cur le chéile!
Together, they remind us that God’s work is often entrusted not to the strong or the prominent, but to the humble, the obedient, the docile souls willing to suffer for love.
Why venerate Relics?
Why do we venerate their relics today? Not merely to honour the past, but to be challenged in the present. We venerate relics not as magical objects, but as tangible reminders that holiness is real, incarnate, and attainable. These relics remind us that the saints were flesh and blood like us, touched by the same graces we receive in the sacraments, yet they responded with heroic love.
As we kneel before these sacred relics, we are not looking at death—we are looking at the eternal fruits of love. We are looking at what it means to say “yes” to Jesus completely. In a world that is distracted, anxious, and often afraid to trust, the Sacred Heart still speaks: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
St. Margaret
St. Margaret Mary teaches us to be contemplatives of the Heart of Christ—to sit with Him, love Him, repair for the wounds caused by sin, and offer our lives as a gift of reparation.
St. Claude
St. Claude teaches us the beauty of spiritual friendship and courage—that the truth, even when misunderstood, is worth proclaiming.
Let us ask their intercession today:
- That our hearts may be set aflame with divine love.
- That we may trust the mercy of Christ more than we fear our own weakness.
- And that we, too, may become living witnesses of the Sacred Heart to a world thirsting for love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
St. Margaret Mary, pray for us.
St. Claude la Colombière, pray for us.
Amen.