Book Review: Three Works of Reparation: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Face of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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+JMJ+ As someone who has been Catholic since childhood, I grew up familiar with many beautiful devotions including the Rosary, Eucharistic adoration, and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Yet I can honestly say that the concept of reparation was not something frequently emphasized. It was present, but often quiet. Belinda Terro Mooney’s book brings that forgotten word back into the light.
In this thoughtful and spiritually rich work, Mooney helps readers understand the meaning, history, and profound importance of the Three Works of Reparation: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Face of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. What she does so effectively is show that these are not separate spiritual practices competing for our attention.. They are intimately connected responses of love to Christ Himself who is Love. Reparation is not about harshness or scrupulosity. It is about mercy.
In contemplating the Sacred Heart, we remember Christ’s burning love wounded by indifference, especially toward the Holy Eucharist. In gazing upon the Holy Face, we behold the Face disfigured by sin — blasphemy, rejection of God’s commandments, hostility toward His name. In honoring the Immaculate Heart, we stand with the Mother whose own Heart was pierced beneath the Cross.
Mooney carefully roots these devotions in the lives of the saints, including Saint Gertrude the Great and Saint Faustina Kowalska, showing that reparation is deeply bound to Divine Mercy. As Pope John Paul II envisioned, a civilization of love can rise from the ruins of hatred and violence, but that renewal begins in hearts willing to console the Heart of Christ.
What struck me most while reading this book is how urgently relevant it is. We live in a time marked by indifference toward God, confusion about truth, and wounds within both culture and Church. Yet Mooney reminds us that God has not left us powerless. He invites us to participate in His own redemptive work.
As someone who has experienced deep suffering and also profound healing through the mercy of Jesus, I recognize the power of this invitation. Reparation is not about condemning others. It begins with humility — with awareness of our own sin and our own need for mercy. From that place, offering prayer, sacrifice, Confession, and Holy Communion with proper intention becomes an act of love for souls.
This is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of reparation today. Too often it is reduced to “just another devotion.” Mooney restores its proper order: devotion is the fruit while reparation is the intention. When practiced with mindfulness and perseverance, these Works become channels through which God pours out grace for conversion for others and for ourselves.
The book is thorough and practical. It explains the history of each devotion, the promises attached to them, associated saints and apparitions, and provides guidance on consecrations, litanies, chaplets, and original prayers composed by the author. The references for further study are substantial and helpful, making it both accessible and academically grounded.
More than information, however, this book offers participation. It reminds us that mercy is not passive. We are invited to assist Our Lord in His work of reparation and to allow His Divine Mercy to flow through our small offerings into a wounded world.
Reparation may not be a word we hear often today, but perhaps that is precisely why this book is so necessary.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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