As a child, I was always puzzled by images of Jesus and Mary with their hearts exposed. Sometimes the images included flowers surrounding the heart. In others, thorns and swords pierced their hearts.
Today marks the feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and after researching more about the day, I now know why we see their hearts painfully, yet lovingly displayed.
Every year, this devotion follows the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an indication of how united the two hearts are. When Jesus appeared to St. Lucia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos, one of the three children to whom Mary appeared at Fatima in 1917, he said, according to St. Lucia, “I want My Church to . . . put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
In images of the Immaculate Heart of Mary there are often swords piercing her heart, numbering from one to seven, depending on the image. The seven swords represent the Seven Dolors, or Sorrows, of Mary. These images suggest a look into what is called Mary’s “interior life” where she keeps so many things – her love, her happiest moments, and her most difficult experiences. In most cases, her heart is also wrapped with either red or white roses.
The image above hung in my childhood home’s entryway for as long as I can remember. It represents my own mother’s devotion to the Blessed Mother, and it is at least 60 years old.
What is the Sacred Heart of Jesus? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins.” (CCC 2669)
Originally, in 1944, Pope Pius XII deemed the feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be in August, tying the devotion to her Assumption into Heaven. But Pope Paul VI in 1969 moved the feast day to the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, further uniting the two. This year the latter was celebrated yesterday, June 24, therefore the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is June 25 this year.
Venerating the Immaculate Heart of Mary is intended to bring those devoted to her closer to her son Jesus.
Several Popes have consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Pope Pius XII, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Paul VI and Pope Francis.
Another way the two hearts are united is on the Miraculous Medal, the design of which Mary in 1830 shared with Catherine Labouré, then a French nun, who relayed the request of the Blessed Virgin Mary to create it. The Miraculous Medal is worn by millions around the globe and features the Immaculate Heart, pierced by a sword, on one side. Next to it, appears the Sacred Heart of Jesus, wrapped in thorns. Mary herself wanted the two hearts next to each other on the medal.
According to Wikipedia: “On November 27, 1830, Labouré reported that Mary returned to her during evening meditations. She displayed herself inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe; rays of light came out of her hands in the direction of a globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words ‘O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’ As Labouré watched, the frame seemed to rotate, showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M surmounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary underneath. Asked why some of the rays of light did not reach the earth, Mary reportedly replied, ‘Those are the graces for which people forget to ask.’ Mary then asked her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions. ‘All who wear them will receive great graces.’”
St. John Paul II, while visiting the United States in 1979 spoke these words when in Washington D.C.: “From Mary we learn to love Christ, her Son and the Son of God…Learn from her to be always faithful, to trust that God’s Word to you will be fulfilled, and that nothing is impossible with God.”
I am hoping to bring more knowledge about the Virgin Mary to the world, especially during these times when we need her most. Please consider sharing this post, this site, or its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. I invite you to subscribe to this site (below) to be notified of new posts. Thank you.
searchingforthevirginmary.com 