十一月的一個夜晚，天正下着雨，街上人煙稀少。有一個人慢慢地走到聖堂門口，很慶幸地發現聖堂的門還沒鎖。
他小心翼翼地進去，聖堂是烏七媽黑的，只有一盞微弱的紅色聖體燈亮着。他躡手躡腳地向祭台走去，忽然從唱經樓上傳來很美妙的歌聲，
讓他嚇了一跳，往後一瞧，唱經樓是一片漆黑，什麼也沒看見，然後，從祭台旁隱隱約約的影像中傳來耶穌聖心懇切的呼聲：

「我兒，將你的心交給我，因為沒有人像我這樣愛了你！」

這個人就跪下來，痛苦和羞愧地低着頭，聖歌繼續不斷，他回想自己曾經是聖歌團的團員，而且，在耶穌聖心節獨唱詩歌，那時他感到非常地快樂，竟然答應要永遠忠實地事奉祂。眼淚從他的臉頰上流下來，因為他體驗到自己是個忘恩負義的人。

    本堂神父非常愛好音樂，他有一個習慣－每天晚上鎖聖堂門以前，一定先唱一首耶穌聖心歌。今天晚上他去探望病人，回來時已是夜深了，本想不作這每晚的奉獻，可是一隻無形的手催迫著他一定要作這愛的獻唱。他沒開燈以免驚擾他人。
唱完了聖心歌，本堂神父由樓上下來，走向祭台，向聖體中的耶穌道個「晚安」。他的手電筒照到了一個人，低着頭跪在那兒，神父問他需不需要幫忙。這個人抬起頭來，滿臉淚痕的說：
「神父，我不堪當你這樣仁慈地待我，因為今天晚上，我是想偷一些聖器的。」他從口袋裡拿出一支左輪手槍和一些工具。
「耶穌聖心懇切的聲音指出了我的罪過和不幸，祂會寬赦我的忘恩負義嗎？」
「來！」神父說：「在仁慈的法庭，你會發現耶穌聖心正準備在你的靈魂上傾注祂的寶血，做為寬恕的標記。」
這個人就起來了，跟着神父到告解亭。

那天晚上，本堂神父在聖體台前跪了很久，感謝召選他的主，以他作為工具，引領迷失的羊回歸羊棧。
這個人辦完了告解，就離開了教堂，往附近的一條河，將左輪手槍和工具投進去。然後折回去站在聖堂外，由彩色玻璃可以看到聖體燈的地方，他取下了帽子，輕柔地唱着聖歌的末句：
「來，來，來，將我引到祢那裡去，喔！神聖的耶穌聖心，無論是生或死、喜樂或痛苦，我的心永遠是祢的。」

---

1.Sing Joyfully the Song of Sacred Heart of Jesus

    Late one dark, rainy November evening, the streets of the town of X were deserted.   A man came slowly around the corner of the church and, having assured himself that there was no one in sight, approached the door.   To his surprise, he found it unlocked.

Cautiously he entered, and, looking about, found that the church was in darkness, with the exception of the sanctuary, where glowed the ruby light of the vigil lamp.   Noiselessly he started up the aisle and had nearly reached the sanctuary when a burst of melody came from the organ-loft.   Startled, the man stopped and glanced up quickly, but no one was in sight and the gallery was in complete darkness.   Then from the shadows came the pleading words of the Heart of Jesus:

“My child, give, O give me your heart, For I have loved it with a love no mortal heart can show!”

The man sank upon his knees and bent his head in sorrow and shame.   As the hymn continued, he recalled the time when he, as a member of a sanctuary choir, had been chosen to sing those very words on the feast of the Sacred Heart.   He remembered how happy he had been and how he had promised the Sacred Heart that night that he would always serve Him faithfully.   Tears flowed down his face as he realized how he had failed to keep the resolution.

The pastor of the church was a great lover of music and he had formed the habit each evening, before locking the door for the night, of singing a hymn to the Heart of Jesus.   Tonight he had gone on a sick call and, as it was late when he returned, he thought he would omit his usual devotion, but an unseen power had urged him not to refuse this tribute of love.   To avoid attention, he had not turned on the lights.

The hymn was finished and the pastor went down toward the altar to bid “good-night” to the silent Dweller there.   His flashlight showed the figure of the man, still kneeling with bowed head.   Approaching him, the priest asked if there was anything he could do to help him.   There were traces of tears upon the man’s cheeks as he turned to the priest and said, “Father, I am not worthy of your kindness, for tonight I came here with the intention of stealing some of the sacred vessels.”   From his pocket he produced a revolver and some tools.   “The pleading voice of the Sacred Heart has shown me my sinfulness and misery.   Will He forgive my terrible ingratitude?”

“Come,” said Father, “to the tribunal of mercy, and you will find the Heart of Jesus waiting to pour upon your soul His precious blood in token of forgiveness.” The man arose and followed Father to the confessional.    

The priest knelt a long time that night before his Eucharistic Lord, thanking the Master for having chosen him to be His instrument in bringing this lost sheep back to the fold.   

The man left the church after making his thanksgiving and, walking to the river that flowed nearby, threw into the stream the revolver and tools which he carried.   Then, turning toward the spot where the sanctuary lamp shone through the stained-glass window, he lifted his cap and softly sang the closing words of the hymn:

“Draw, draw me closer still to Thee, Oh, Sacred Heart divine, In life or death, in joy or grief, My heart is ever Thine!”