August, the month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary J.M.J. The Blessed Mother presented it as the solution to the problems of the world and to save souls from going to Hell. Our Lady presented devotion to her Immaculate Heart, together with the Communion of Reparation of the First Five Saturdays and the consecration of Russia, as the means to avoid the perdition of souls, the chastisement of a new world war and the expansion of communism. in the world. To those who accept it, I promise salvation and those souls will be loved by God as flowers I have placed to embellish His Throne. intended to make reparation for the ongoing offenses suffered by the Immaculate Heart. At the June 1917 apparition, Our Lady opened her hands, which gave off an intense light: "In front of the palm of Our Lady's right hand was a heart surrounded with thorns that appeared to be piercing it. We understood it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, insulted by the sins of humanity, which wanted reparation." the most noble of all sentiments. In relation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it represents the Savior's redeeming love to the point of delivering Himself for us and the co-redeeming love of Mary Most Holy that is united intimately with her Divine Son's sacrifice. Based on his argument, theologians say the same about the Immaculate Heart of Mary: it is well understood and it is the essence of all devotion to the Blessed Mother. the human body serve to symbolize an aspect of a person's most salient characteristics. Thus, a perspicacious person is said to have "eagle eyes" and a very courageous man has "a lion's heart." The same happens with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary: it emphasizes a body part to symbolize a salient aspect of the whole adorable Person of Jesus Christ and the venerable Person of His Most Holy Mother, which is their merciful love. Devotion to these Hearts addresses therefore to the Persons of Jesus and of abundant help of grace, which would not be possible without the extraordinary help from God. This is why the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary as being "full of grace."2 of perfection and sanctity. Therefore, the Immaculate Heart of Mary symbolizes the hallowed purity and sanctity of Mary Most Holy and her complete fidelity to God. pierced with sorrow. Soon after the joys of the Savior's birth, at the Presentation in the Temple, the old Simeon, turning to the Mother of God, prophesied, "Behold, this child is set for the ruin, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed."3 the words of Simeon? They are easily guessed: her admiration and joy before the manifestation of her Son suddenly turns into bitter sorrow. The words, not only about the future of her Son but her own, were clear and definitive. But the entire and definitive fulfillment of Simeon's announcement would be realized on Calvary . . . . There, as nowhere else, Christ crucified would be a sign of contradiction . . . . At the foot of the cross, His Mother would feel the announced sword in all the fibers of her motherly heart.4 Heart also is, therefore, a Wise Heart, and Catholic liturgy has applied to her, since the 8th century, texts from the Sapiential books of Scripture.5 interior life and of her continuous contemplation of God's marvels, particularly as manifested in her Divine Son. pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). The second reference is about the loss and finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Saint Luke repeats the same comment, with a slight difference, maintaining the same sense, "And his mother kept all these words in her heart" Heart filled with the tenderness that the best of all mothers had for the best of all sons. This tenderness is reflected in the love, full of mercy, that she has for us; which is why we invoke her as Mater Misericordiae. this love often shortchanged by the attachment for a professional career or a transitory promiscuous relationship? spreading to all other types of human relationships? Thus one understands the Blessed Mother's 1917 prophetic wisdom in Fatima when men would witness the death of sentiment. find ourselves in is devotion to that venerable and most holy Heart capable of restoring true feelings of love, affection and mercy, and the purity of which our times are so needful. The Immaculate Heart is the source, overflowing with motherly love, of the one who is "full of grace."6Notes
Indeed, Pope Pius XII taught: . . . His Heart, the noblest part of human nature, is hypostatically united to the Person of the divine Word.
We are dealing here with an article of faith, for it has been solemnly defined in the general Council of Ephesus and the second Council of Constantinople. Haurietis Aquas, His Holiness Pope Pius XII. Encyclical on Devotion to the Sacred Heart, May 15, 1956, 21. ---------------------------------------------------- the Immaculate Heart of Mary and our Store - http://olrl.org/mm5/merchant.mvc http://olrl.org/books/truedevotion.shtml http://olrl.org/books/consecration_mary.shtml http://olrl.org/prophecy/fatima.shtml http://olrl.org/books/peaceplan.shtml http://olrl.org/sacramental/greenscapular.shtml
---- For good Catholic books, articles and religious goods visit www.olrl.org.
|