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Dear Friends in Christ,

When St. Catherine LabourŽ was given the remarkable vision which has come to be known as the Miraculous Medal of our Lady, at the center of that vision were two hearts Ð one crowned with thorns, and the other pierced by a sword. One showed the pain endured by our Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of manÕs sins, and for the sake of redeeming the world Ð and one showed the pain that His Blessed Mother would endure, understanding the reality, and the depth of His suffering. Our LordÕs pain, in a way, is eternal, insofar as the Sacrifice which He made, is made, not for one time, but for all time, and for all sin. But our LadyÕs pain is renewed daily - for not a day goes by, that the Sacrifice of Christ, the pain of Christ, is not mocked and scourged, and derided as weakness, folly, and useless for the modern world. Into our LadyÕs heart, the sword is plunged - yesterday, today, and it will be tomorrow.

Because we hunger for the love of our Lord, and because we live day to day, and face the challenge that Satan brings against our Faith, we are united to the pain of our Lord and our Lady, in a special, mystical way. We accept this pain, for our Faith longs for the Cross, and for the triumph to which the Cross leads us. And our Faith leads us to Mary, for no one outgrows the need for a motherÕs love, since no one outgrows the pain that only a motherÕs love can comfort.

But in this love, relief is found. As the eloquent Bishop Sheen once wrote:

"Love has two terms: He Who loves and He Who is loved. In love the two are reciprocal. I love and I am loved. Between me and the one I love there is a bond. It is not my love; it is not his love; it is our love; the mysterious resultant of two affections, a bond that enchains, and an embrace wherein two hearts leap with but a single joy." (From the AngelsÕ Blackboard)

And so dear friends, though we feel, and long to feel, the pain that has been suffered for our sake, and to share the pain that is felt for His sake, let us also cry out to God with joy, for the love that makes pain bearable and fruitful.

I pray to the Father, that these sentiments may go on being celebrated by this Alliance of the Two Hearts, I pray that the veneration of redemptive suffering practiced by the Alliance may be adopted in the spiritual life of all our parishes, and that as a result, many graces may come into the life of the Church in North Georgia. May God bless you all for your efforts to make these holy actions take place.

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