Many devotions have arisen on the basis of particular revelations from the supernatural world. Privileged persons who, having arrived at a high level of union with God, hear his voice and receive his inspirations. At times, doctrine and pastoral care have taken inspiration from these apparitions (e.g., devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Therefore, there has always been continuity and interconnection between doctrine, revelation, and devotions.
Let's take a look at the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born and died in France (1647–1690), entered the monastery of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial, and received various apparitions and revelations over the span of 17 years starting on December 27, 1673.
In the apparition of July 2, 1674, while the sister was in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart "revealed the inexplicable wonders of his pure love and to what excess this had driven him to love men, from whom he receives in return nothing but ingratitude and indifference. This makes me suffer more than all I underwent in my passion, whereas if they were to give me at least a bit more love I would consider as little all that I have done for them and I would like, if it were possible, to do even more. Instead I get nothing from men but coldness and rejection for the infinite pains that I take for their good."
In what is called the "Great Revelation," which took place within the Octave of Corpus Domini in 1675, she writes, "Jesus, revealing His Divine Heart, said to me, 'Behold that Heart which has so loved men and has spared nothing to the point of exhausting and consuming itself to bear witness to its love. As a sign of recognition, however, I receive from most of them nothing but ingratitude through their many irreverences, sacrileges and the coldness and disdain they show to Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what embitters Me the most is that there are also hearts consecrated to Me that treat Me this way. This is why I ask you that on the first Friday after the Octave of Corpus Domini a feast be dedicated to honor My Heart, receiving Holy Communion on that day and making reparation for all the outrages received during the period in which it was exposed on the altars. And I promise that My Heart will expand to pour out with abundance the riches of Its divine Love on those who will render this honor to It and will also obtain it from others."
In a letter written to Mother de Saumaise, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque says, "One Friday, during Holy Communion, He said to me, if I am not mistaken: 'In the excessive mercy of My Heart, I promise to you that Its omnipotent love will grant the grace of final repentance to all those who will receive Communion on the first Friday of nine consecutive months. Thus they will not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My Heart will make itself a secure refuge in that supreme moment."
The unfolding of the various apparitions of these 17 years produced a list of 12 promises made by Jesus to those who will devote themselves to his Sacred Heart. Margaret Mary Alacoque wanted to keep all of these revelations to herself, but her confessor, St. Claude de la Colombière, obliged her to write down all she had received. The interesting thing is that, oddly enough, Fr. de la Colombière was a member of the Society of Jesus of St. Ignatius Loyola. It was through him, with the collaboration of many of his confreres, that this devotion received a grandiose and universal impulse. Unfortunately, in our day many members of this Society are proponents of a movement that goes in a direction completely opposite to this devotion to the Sacred Heart.