Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
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This is not, however, because the two are synonymous but when the word heart is used to designate the person , it is because such a person is considered in whatsoever related to his emotional and moral life. Jesus entire is thus recapitulated in the Sacred Heart as all is recapitulated in Jesus. God is constantly lamenting that in Holy Writ , and the saints have always heard within their hearts the plaint of unrequited love. Indeed one of the essential phases of the devotion is that it considers the love of Jesus for us as a despised, ignored love.
He Himself revealed this when He complained so bitterly to St. Nevertheless, it shines forth more resplendently in certain mysteries from which great good accrues to us, and in which Jesus is more lavish of His loving benefactions and more complete in His gift of self, namely, in the Incarnation , in the Passion, and in the Eucharist.
Heart of Jesus, Symbol of Love. The Church, governed and taught by the Holy Ghost, has approved and recommended devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Meditation. Devotion to the Sacred Heart, as we know it, began about the year On repeated occasions, Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, .
Moreover, these mysteries have a place apart in the devotion which, everywhere seeking Jesus and the signs of His love and favours, finds them here to an even greater extent than in particular acts. This is obviously not that it excludes His love for God , for this included in His love for men , but it is above all the devotion to "the Heart that has so loved men ", according to the words quoted by St. Undoubtedly it is the love of God made Man , the love of the Incarnate Word.
However, it does not seem that devout persons think of separating these two loves any more than they separate the two natures in Jesus. Besides, even though we might wish to settle this part of the question at any cost, we would find that the opinions of authors are at variance. Some, considering that the Heart of Flesh is connected with human love only, conclude that it does not symbolize Divine love which, moreover, is not proper to the Person of Jesus , and that, therefore, Divine love is not the direct object of the devotion.
Others, while admitting that Divine love apart from the Incarnate Word is not the object of the devotion, believe it to be such when considered as the love of the Incarnate Word , and they do not see why this love also could not be symbolized by the Heart of flesh nor why, in this event, the devotion should be limited to created love only.
Foundations of the devotion The question may be considered under three aspects: Margaret Mary ; she made abstraction of these and examined the worship in itself. Margaret Mary's visions could be false , but the devotion would not, on that account, be any less worthy or solid. However, the fact is that the devotion was propagated chiefly under the influence of the movement started at Paray-le-Monial ; and prior to her beatification , Margaret Mary's visions were most critically examined by the Church , whose judgment in such cases does not involve her infallibility but implies only a human certainty sufficient to warrant consequent speech and action.
But it is not thus that the Heart is considered, and, in his Bull "Auctorem fidei" , , Pius VI authoritatively vindicated the devotion in this respect against the calumnies of the Jansenists. The worship, although paid to the Heart of Jesus , extends further than the Heart of flesh, being directed to the love of which this Heart is the living and expressive symbol.
On this point the devotion requires no justification, as it is to the Person of Jesus that it is directed; but to the Person as inseparable from His Divinity. Jesus , the living apparition of the goodness of God and of His paternal love , Jesus infinitely loving and amiable, studied in the principal manifestations of His love , is the object of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as indeed He is the object of the Christian religion.
The difficulty lies in the union of the heart and love , in the relation which the devotion supposes between the one and the other. Is not this an error long since discarded? If so, it remains to examine whether the devotion, considered in this respect, is well founded. Sometimes they have spoken as if the heart were the organ of love , but this point has no bearing on the devotion, for which it suffices that the heart be the symbol of love , and that, for the basis of the symbolism, a real connection exist between the heart and the emotions.
Now, the symbolism of the heart is a fact and every one feels that in the heart there is a sort of an echo of our sentiments. The physiological study of this resonance may be very interesting, but it is in no wise necessary to the devotion, as its foundation is a fact attested by daily experience, a fact which physiological study confirms and of which it determines the conditions , but which neither supposes this study nor any special acquaintance with its subject. The proper act of the devotion This act is required by the very object of the devotion, since devotion to the love of Jesus for us should be pre-eminently a devotion of love for Jesus.
It is characterized by a reciprocation of love ; its aim is to love Jesus who has so loved us, to return love for love. Since, moreover, the love of Jesus manifests itself to the devout soul as a love despised and outraged, especially in the Eucharist , the love expressed in the devotion naturally assumes a character of reparation , and hence the importance of acts of atonement , the Communion of reparation , and compassion for Jesus suffering.
But no special act , no practice whatever, can exhaust the riches of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. The love which is its soul embraces all and, the better one understands it, the more firmly is he convinced that nothing can vie with it for making Jesus live in us and for bringing him who lives by it to love God , in union with Jesus , with all his heart, all his soul , all his strength.
Historical ideas on the development of the devotion 1 From the time of St. Paul there has always been in the Church something like devotion to the love of God , Who so loved the world as to give it His only-begotten Son, and to the love of Jesus , Who has so loved us as to deliver Himself up for us.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
But, accurately speaking, this is not the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as it pays no homage to the Heart of Jesus as the symbol of His love for us. From the earliest centuries, in accordance with the example of the Evangelist , Christ's open side and the mystery of blood and water were meditated upon, and the Church was beheld issuing from the side of Jesus , as Eve came forth from the side of Adam. But there is nothing to indicate that, during the first ten centuries, any worship was rendered the wounded Heart.
Through the wound in the side the wounded Heart was gradually reached, and the wound in the Heart symbolized the wound of love. It was in the fervent atmosphere of the Benedictine or Cistercian monasteries , in the world of Anselmian or Bernardine thought, that the devotion arose, although it is impossible to say positively what were its first texts or were its first votaries.
Mechtilde , and the author of the "Vitis mystica" it was already well known. We cannot state with certainty to whom we are indebted for the "Vitis mystica".
Until recent times its authorship had generally been ascribed to St. Bernard and yet, by the late publishers of the beautiful and scholarly Quaracchi edition, it has been attributed, and not without plausible reasons, to St. But, be this as it may, it contains one of the most beautiful passages that ever inspired the devotion to the Sacred Heart, one appropriated by the Church for the lessons of the second nocturn of the feast. What deserves special mention is the vision of St.
Gertrude on the feast of St. John the Evangelist , as it forms an epoch in the history of the devotion. I come to ask this favor: To whom can I turn if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You, Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe that You can grant me the grace I implore, even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted.
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I admit that I am most unworthy of Your favors, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and You will not refuse a contrite heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of You, and Your kind Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a reason for granting my prayer. Sacred Heart, whatever may be Your decision with regard to my request, I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and serving You. Teresa of Avila St. John of the Cross St.
Therese of the Child Jesus St. Alphonsus Ligouri Books by St. Francis de Sales Books by St. Teresa of Avila Books by St. John of the Cross Books by St.
Therese of the Child Jesus Books by St. Jude Impossible Causes Sacramentals St. Francis of Assisi St. Therese the Little Flower St. Home Devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart
We make reparation for the indifference and ingratitude with which He is treated and for leaving Him abandoned by humanity. He will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. He will establish peace in their homes. He will comfort them in all their afflictions. He will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
Historical ideas on the development of the devotion
He will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings. Sinners will find in His Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
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- Sisters of Carmel: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
Margaret Mary ; its spirituality, certain intuitions of St. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of the month consecutively, the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their Sacraments, My Divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment. From this time Mechtilde had an extraordinary devotion for the Sacred Heart, and said that if she had to write down all the favors and all the blessings which she had received by means of this devotion, a large book would not contain them. Since, moreover, the love of Jesus manifests itself to the devout soul as a love despised and outraged, especially in the Eucharist , the love expressed in the devotion naturally assumes a character of reparation , and hence the importance of acts of atonement , the Communion of reparation , and compassion for Jesus suffering. Not much later Jean Eudes wrote an Office, and promoted a feast for it. To His open heart the Savior invites all men, to draw water in joy from the springs of salvation.
He will bless every place in which an image of His Heart is exposed and honored. He will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in His Heart.
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