Sacred Heart of Jesus & Immaculate Heart of Mary
Jesus saved the world at Calvary. The Fathers of the Church often meditated and praised the singular love and faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who so generously offered, in fiat, Herself to God to fulfill His plans for our redemption, and who so steadfastly persevered with Her Son Jesus Christ in His ignominious crucifixion and death.
The Heart of Jesus suffered to pour forth upon all who believe in Him the grace of the Holy Spirit. This grace makes them partakers of the Holy Eucharist in the communion of fellowship in the Catholic Church.
The Heart of Mary, always focused on Her Divine Son, was predestined by God to suffer with Him for the salvation of mankind.
124. In order that favors in greater abundance may flow on all Christians, nay, on the whole human race, from the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, let the faithful see to it that to this devotion the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God is closely joined. For, by God's Will, in carrying out the work of human Redemption the Blessed Virgin Mary was inseparably linked with Christ in such a manner that our salvation sprang from the love and the sufferings of Jesus Christ to which the love and sorrows of His Mother were intimately united. It is, then, entirely fitting that the Christian people – who received the Divine life from Christ through Mary – after they have paid their debt of honor to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should also offer to the most loving Heart of their heavenly Mother the corresponding acts of piety affection, gratitude and expiation. Entirely in keeping with this most sweet and wise disposition of Divine Providence is the memorable act of consecration by which We Ourselves solemnly dedicated Holy Church and the whole world to the spotless Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.—Pope Pius XII, Haurietis Aquas (1956)
The Chaplet of the Two Hearts (example shown at right) consists of the Two Hearts Medal and 20 beads. There are five sets of 4 beads each.
Each 4-bead set represents one "Our Father..." and three "Hail Mary..." prayers.
During each of the five sets of beads, meditate on the corresponding spiritual themes:
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O Loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary, |
The connection between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary was foretold by the righteous and devout Simeon at the presentation in the Temple of Jerusalem.
34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted 35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Cf. Lk 2:34–35.
34 one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. Cf. Jn 19:34.
In the 17th century, St. John Eudes obtained permission to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the liturgy. This was done for the first time at the Grand Seminary of Rennes, France, on August 31, 1670 A. D. This liturgical commemoration of the love of the Redeemer began just two years or so before Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alaqoque, asking her to reveal His Heart to the world. These celebrations thus served Divine Providence, for they drew down upon the world a new era of Mercy and Grace.
Spurred on the Revelations to St. Margaret the liturgical celebration of the Sacred Heart gradually grew in popularity throughout Europe. At the request of innumerable petitions, in particular that of the entire Polish hierarchy, Pope Clement XIII requested the Sacred Congregation of Rites to examine the devotion. On January 25, 1765 A. D., devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was formally approved. Venerable Pope Pius IX extended the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the entire Catholic Church in 1858 A. D. And Pope Leo XIII approved the litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Even before the beginning of private revelations of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in modern times, St. John Eudes had obtained permission from the ecclesiastical authorities to celebrate the Feast of the Heart of Mary liturgically. This was done for the first time at Autun, France, on May 8, 1648 A. D. In 1799 Pope Pius VI permitted religious societies in the archdiocese of Palermo, Sicily, to celebrate a similar feast. In 1805 Pope Pius VII extended this permission to all religious societies and dioceses throughout the world. On July 21, 1855, the Sacred Congregation of Rites approved for the universal Roman Catholic Church an Office and Mass in honor of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. It was Venerable Pope Pius XII who had the joy to institute the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the universal Church in 1945 A.D.
At the end of the 19th century, the Vatican first consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since 1899, the successors of Pope Leo XIII, added further understanding of veneration to this most important Catholic devotion.
The encyclical letter Annum sacrum (May 25, 1899 A. D.) of Pope Leo XIII decreed that the consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on June 11, 1899 A. D. In this encyclical letter the Pope encouraged the entire Roman Catholic episcopate to promote the devotion of the Nine First Fridays and he established June as the Month of the Sacred Heart. Pope St. Pius X decreed that the consecration of the human race, performed by Pope Leo XIII be renewed each year.
Pope Pius XI in his encyclical letter Miserentissimus redemptor (May 8, 1928 A. D.) reaffirmed the importance of consecration and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Finally Venerable Pope Pius XII, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius IX's institution of the Feast, instructed the entire Catholic Church at length on the devotion to the Sacred Heart in his encyclical letter Haurietis aquas (May 15, 1956 A. D.).
It was Venerable Pope Pius XII who first consecrated the Church and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31 and again, solemnly on December 8, 1942 A. D.
In recent times, moved by millions of petitions and by the occasion of the attempted assassination of his own person on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II consecrated the world and every nation to the Immaculate Heart in 1982, and repeated this act in union with all the Catholic Bishops again in 1983 A.D.
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