The most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Yesterday we celebrated one of the most wonderful feast in the church-the feast of the most sacred heart of Jesus and today we will be celebrating the feast of the immaculate heart of Mary. Both feasts show the divine love for all mankind, the love of God for the whole humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by the lance-wound, encircled by the crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross and bleeding. Sometimes the image is shown shining within the bosom of Christ with his wounded hands pointing at the heart. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of divine love.

This devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus is one of the most popular devotion in the Catholic Church. This devotion is taking Jesus' physical heart as a representation of his divine love for the whole humanity. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity.This is one of my favorite devotion and this devotion is the early version of the divine mercy devotion, in which Christ shows His love to the whole humanity with the water and blood flowing out from His heart. God mercy is endless.

I guess most of us as a catholic would be familiar that this devotion is through a vision granted to French Roman Catholic nun,St.Marguerite Marie Alcoque,who said she learned the devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience. However, the church started this devotion much more earlier. The Sacred Heart has been closely associated with Acts of Reparations to Jesus Christ. Pope Pius XI stated: "the spirit of expiation or reparation has always had the first and foremost place in the worship given to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus".The Golden Arrow Prayer directly refers to the Sacred Heart. In addition, The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar since 1856, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart always falls on a Friday.

Today, we will celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate heart of Mary. The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is based on the historical, theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the 18th and 19th centuries the devotions grew, both jointly and individually through the efforts of figures such as Saint Louis de Monfort who promoted Catholic Mariology and Saint Catherine Laboure's Miraculous medal depicting the Heart of Jesus thorn-crowned and the Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. In the Immaculata prayer of Saint Maximilian Kolbe and in the reported messages of Our Lady of Fatima which stated that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary.

Jesus Christ, in his appearances to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, promised these blessings to those who practice devotion to his Sacred Heart. The twelve promises are found in the writings of St.Margaret Mary.

The twelve promises are:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

The last promise has given rise to the pious Roman Catholic practice of making an effort to attend Mass and receive Communion on the first Friday of each month.

Great efficacy of converting people has been attached to the use of the image of the Sacred Heart.