魏雷神父在他的小花園裡慢慢地走來走去，沉思一些事情。他很擔心，也很沮喪，感到自己無能為力把他的羊群帶回去主的腳前。六個月以來，他努力地在這小礦鎮工作，人們都無動於衷，很少參與彌撒和領受聖事。

   魏神父走進教堂，哀求善牧耶穌指引他帶領迷失的羊回歸羊棧。

後來他收到一本「敬禮耶穌聖心」的小冊子，看到耶穌聖心的許諾：

「我要賜給司鐸神能，可以感化最冥頑的心。」

魏神父微笑著，感到這是祈禱後，天主給他肯定的答覆。

他決定買一尊耶穌聖心像，安放在聖堂裡。他送出一份訂單，幾天後聖像就運來了。

            神父訪問礦工和他們的家庭，告訴他們主日彌撒後要祝聖耶穌聖心像，他們都來了，神父就講敬禮耶穌聖心的道理。

   漸漸地，人們改變了，神父不必再提醒他們參與彌撒的重要性，他們也忠實地領受各種聖事，耶穌聖心履行了祂的承諾。

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12.The Lost Sheep Return to the Flock

        Father Wallace, buried in thought, was walking slowly back and forth in his little garden.   He was worried and depressed at his seeming inability to bring his flock to the Master’s feet.   For six months he had labored in this little mining town without making any impression on the people, who seldom attended Mass and positively refused to partake of the grace of the sacraments.

        The priest went to the church and begged the Good Shepherd to show him some means of bringing these straying sheep back to the fold.   Later, while examining his mail, he found a pamphlet entitled,  “Devotion to the Sacred Heart,” and read the promise,  “I shall give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.”  Father Wallace smiled for this surely was an answer to his prayer. He would buy a statue of the Sacred Heart and place it in his church.   The order was sent, and in a few days the statue arrived.

        Father visited the mines and homes of his people, telling them that the new statue would be blessed on Sunday after Mass.   The miners came and the pastor preached on devotion to the Sacred Heart.

        Little by little a transformation took place.   The priest was no longer obliged to remind them of the necessity of assisting at Mass, and the sacraments were faithfully attended.   The Sacred Heart had fulfilled His promise!