AGONIZING HEART OF JESUS.
more important than to beseech God, by the Holy Agony of Jesus, to show mercy to these poor creatures now in their agony? Hell is ready to swallow them up, will you not try to rescue them? Christians, pray, intercede for them. To-morrow it will be too late! In a few minutes, eternity will have begun for many of them.
The advantages of this Confraternity, and the motives for belonging to it, are weighty and numerous. In the first place, it offers a perpetual honourable reparation, a continual homage to the agonizing heart of Jesus. Those who love Him cannot but feel the power of such a motive. In the present day, the efforts of His love are often frustrated by the ingratitude and malice of His own chil- dren; justice calls upon us to make Him all the reparation in our power. In the second place, the Confraternity has already obtained, and will, we may hope, continue to obtain, countless graces for the dying. We can never duly appreciate these benefits, till we know, what the heart of man hath never known, what his eyes hath not seen, nor his ear heard; the ineffable happiness of heaven, the inexpressible misery of hell. An eternity of bliss! An eternity of torment! Joy or
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sorrow for ever! there is no alternative. The third motive is your own interest. If you can make some of your fellow-creatures happy for ever, will you not be amply re- warded? But there are many other advan- tages for members of this Confraternity; precious indulgences are attached to it, the excellent virtues of charity, zeal, confidence in God, and fear of His judgments, are called into practice; the spirit of faith and prayer is strengthened; the intention is purified; it opens to you an inexhaustible spring of grace and merit. The members of your families will experience its happy influ- ence; and, above all, you will have great consolation at the hour of your death. How many hands and voices will there be raised, imploring God to grant the grace of a holy death to the charitable Christian who has often sought it for others! Do you think that the souls, to whom the gates of heaven have been opened by your prayers, can forget you in your last struggle? Oh! no, their intercession in heaven will be joined to those made for you by the Confraternity on earth. And how joyfully will they welcome you to join their blessed company for all eternity! dear reader, one of your surest means of
THE AGONIZING HEART OF JESUS.
living a holy life and dying a holy death, is to do all you can for the agonizing. Pray for them; you will be prayed for in your turn when you are in your agony. And who knows how soon that may be?
CHAPTER II.
Organization of the Confraternity of the
Agonizing Heart of Jesus.
Two classes of members compose this Confraternity, Associates and Companions. The former are the working members, and the Association consists exclusively of them. They are most closely united to the Confra- ternity, undertake to observe all its practices, and have a right to all its indulgences and privileges. A public act of consecration to the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, is pronounced by each, on the day of admission, in presence of the assembled associates. This act is ac- companied by three promises, of which we shall speak hereafter. The Companions make no act of consecration and no promises ; but their names are entered on the Register of the Confraternity, and they pray every day for
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the eighty thousand who die every day; they are thus united with the Associates, and gain a title to certain indulgences. The digni- taries are always chosen from among the Associates. Companions are not admitted to the common meetings of the Association, nor to the annual retreat made by its mem- bers, unless by a special permission from the Director and Council of the Confra- ternity.
The Director of the Association should be a fervent and intelligent priest, who will be careful to preserve its spirit, to promote the growth of its members in humility, piety, modesty, charity, zeal, and devotion, even more than the increase of their numbers; one who will faithfully watch over this little flock committed to him by the Good Shep- herd; duly considering, in the sight of God, the fruits of salvation to be expected from each member, and his own great responsi- bility, since the earnestness of the Associates, and the efficacy of their prayers for the con- version and salvation of sinners, depend in great measure on his guidance.
The Dignitaries are chosen from amongst the Associates most distinguished by their virtues, their zeal and religious influence.
THE AGONIZING HEART OF JESUS.
They are, the president, vice-president, or assistant, seven counsellors, one of whom is first zelatrix, and another secretary, and, lastly, a treasurer. We need not remind them of the care they should take to prove themselves worthy of the honour conferred upon them. Detailed rules regarding their different duties will be found in a little book called, "the agonizing heart of Jesus.— Statutes of the Association." (Le Cœur Agonizant de Jésus—Statuts de l'Association, chez Régis—Ruffet, Libraire Paris, Rue Saint Sulpice), which we beg the directors and dignitaries to procure. This book speaks merely of women, as an Association is gene- rally composed of them; but, of course, men might also form one which ought to be per- fectly distinct from the other.
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CHAPTER III.
Conditions of admission into the confra- ternity of the agonizing heart of Jesus.
This Confraternity consists, as we have said, of Associates and Companions. Any
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one desirous of becoming an Associate, should address a request for admission to the Director of the Confraternity, or to one of the chief dignitaries, who will submit it for approval to the Council of the Associa- tion; and, should no objection be made, the person then becomes a postulant. If, after a period of at least a month, the Council con- sider the postulant worthy, she is admitted to the Association, and makes her act of con- secration to the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, publicly, in the chapel of the Confraternity, in presence of the other associates, adding the three following promises: first, to pray every day for those who die that day; secondly, to make half an hour's intercession for the same intention, every month; thirdly, to assist at the meetings of the Association. At the end of this chapter, we give the act of consecration, and the promises. They do not oblige under pain of mortal, or even venial, sin, but we earnestly beg those who have not a firm purpose of fulfilling them, to content themselves with remaining Compan- ions of the Confraternity, instead of seeking admission as Associates. The duties of the Companions will be explained in the next chapter.
THE AGONIZING HEART OF JESUS.
No one can become an Associate, who is not already a Companion: a person becomes a companion by having her name entered on the register of the Confraternity to become an Associate, she must also, after admission by the Council, make the public act of con- secration, and the promises of which we have spoken.
Any one who wishes to be a Companion, can send her name to the Director of the Confraternity; if no serious reason to the contrary exists, he enters it on the Register, and she can then, on fulfilment of the pre- scribed conditions, gain the indulgences granted to Companions. It will be seen that there is a great difference between the Asso- ciates and Companions, and it is most im- portant that this difference should be main- tained, otherwise the registers will soon be full of names, while the results in the pro- motion of the glory of God and the salvation
