The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By Fr. George El-Andari
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Love the Lord with all Your Heart
In the Scriptures, the meaning and function of the heart is not only the physical organ that pumps blood through a circulatory system to the entire body, as we know it to be from science. The Word of God shows us that the heart is the interior, the center and the deepest depth of a person and everything that goes on within him; it is a composition of three components of our soul—mind, emotion, and will—plus the most important part of our spirit, which is our conscience. God created us with a body, soul, and spirit. In the Old Testament, the concept of the heart is clearly important in physical, emotional, and spiritual components, and in the New Testament, we clearly see the outpouring of Jesus’ love from His heart, whether in the miracle stories, the reconciliation of sinners, and finally on the cross where He poured out His love for us. |
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In both the Old and New Testament, God tells us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” We love with our hearts that God gave us so we can love him back with all our being and with the whole inner person: mind, emotion, will and conscience. Thus, the heart is the place where man meets God. This love encounter with God becomes fully effective when we integrate it with the human heart of the Son of God, which occurs by incarnation. The divine nature unites with the human nature so that our human nature in turn unites with the divine nature. The heart of Jesus is the love that God offers to every human being who suffers pain and distress and wants to love and be loved.
Worshiping the Heart of Jesus means worshiping and imitating love or the heart of Jesus, which symbolizes redemption and sacrifice. Jesus told us, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He is telling us to learn from Him as the Lord and teacher. On the cross when the soldier’s lance pierced His side and out flowed blood and water (representing the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Baptism) which is a sign of the love of Jesus to humanity, He allowed His heart to be pierced as an offering and sacrifice for humanity to the end. Hence, we are obligated to love and be devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the end.
Roots of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has its roots in the third century. In those days, Christians would pause at 3:00 in the afternoon and meditate on the five wounds of Jesus Christ, particularly the piercing of Jesus’ side. This meditation has theological roots in the story of doubting Thomas in the Gospel of John, where Thomas encounters the power of the living God, which is a love stronger even than death. In this way, the Gospel of John has directly impacted the development of devotion to the sacred heart.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can also be traced back to the fathers of the Church, including St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Irenaeus, St. Hippolytus of Rome and St. Justin Martyr. This devotion was later renewed in the writings of Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries in the 11th century. One famous example is the 12th century “O Sacred Head Surrounded” prayer composed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The devotion continued to spread, but it mostly remained a private devotion until the 16th century.
Date of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The worship of the Heart of Jesus spread more broadly and rapidly in the seventeenth century due to the appearance of Jesus to the French Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, He revealed His Divine Heart to her and asked her to worship it. In one apparition, He told her, “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity, and with you in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you.”
Margaret was born in 1647 from a pious family. She became a nun at the Monastery of the Visitation Sisters at the age of 43. The Church commemorates her on October 17th, and on the day she professed her monastic vows, she wrote with her blood: “Everything is from God, and nothing is from me. Everything is for God, and nothing is for me. Everything is for God’s sake, nothing for me.”
There are many appearances of Christ to this Saint; Jesus mourned the indifference and ingratitude of the greater part of humanity. He also requested a special liturgical feast in the Universal Church for His Sacred Heart to be celebrated on Friday, a week after Corpus Christi. He chose the first Friday of every month to worship Him because he was crucified and died on this day for the salvation of all of us. On that day, He asked for a solemn act of reparation for all offenses heaped upon Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
As for the fruit of this worship, the Savior Himself summarized it in His promises to Saint Margaret Mary of Alacoque:
1- I will grant them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2- I will establish peace in their homes.
3- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4- I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5- I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6- Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7- Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8- Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9- I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored.
10- I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11- Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
12- I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
The devotion became popular after St. Margaret Mary’s death in 1690. However, because the Church is always careful in approving a private apparition or devotion, the feast was not established as an official feast for all of France until 1765.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart was formally approved by Pope Pius IX on May 8, 1873, and 26 years later, on July 21, 1899, Pope Leo XIII urgently recommended that all bishops throughout the world observe the feast in their diocese.
In the Maronite Church, the month of June is dedicated to the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday, the Second Sunday of Pentecost. In addition to the liturgical celebration, there are many prayers and devotional practices related to the heart of Jesus:
Novena to the Heart of Jesus
Rosary of the Heart of Jesus
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Eucharistic adoration in the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Prayer of consecration of the family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Hymns to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Of all, the cult of the Sacred Heart remains, and it continues to be one of the most popular and widespread in the Church.
Questions for each of us:
1-What can you do this month, which Jesus dedicated for the worship of His Sacred Heart, to practice this devotion for your salvation and the salvation of others?
2-Are you dedicating time and promoting this devotion, so your name and the names of the ones you love could be written on Jesus’ Heart?
3-What do the heart of Jesus, the love of Jesus, the blood and water which were poured from His heart, and the Mysteries of the Eucharist and reconciliation mean to you after receiving these promises from Jesus?
Worshiping the Heart of Jesus means worshiping and imitating love or the heart of Jesus, which symbolizes redemption and sacrifice. Jesus told us, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He is telling us to learn from Him as the Lord and teacher. On the cross when the soldier’s lance pierced His side and out flowed blood and water (representing the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Baptism) which is a sign of the love of Jesus to humanity, He allowed His heart to be pierced as an offering and sacrifice for humanity to the end. Hence, we are obligated to love and be devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the end.
Roots of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has its roots in the third century. In those days, Christians would pause at 3:00 in the afternoon and meditate on the five wounds of Jesus Christ, particularly the piercing of Jesus’ side. This meditation has theological roots in the story of doubting Thomas in the Gospel of John, where Thomas encounters the power of the living God, which is a love stronger even than death. In this way, the Gospel of John has directly impacted the development of devotion to the sacred heart.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can also be traced back to the fathers of the Church, including St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Irenaeus, St. Hippolytus of Rome and St. Justin Martyr. This devotion was later renewed in the writings of Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries in the 11th century. One famous example is the 12th century “O Sacred Head Surrounded” prayer composed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The devotion continued to spread, but it mostly remained a private devotion until the 16th century.
Date of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The worship of the Heart of Jesus spread more broadly and rapidly in the seventeenth century due to the appearance of Jesus to the French Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, He revealed His Divine Heart to her and asked her to worship it. In one apparition, He told her, “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity, and with you in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you.”
Margaret was born in 1647 from a pious family. She became a nun at the Monastery of the Visitation Sisters at the age of 43. The Church commemorates her on October 17th, and on the day she professed her monastic vows, she wrote with her blood: “Everything is from God, and nothing is from me. Everything is for God, and nothing is for me. Everything is for God’s sake, nothing for me.”
There are many appearances of Christ to this Saint; Jesus mourned the indifference and ingratitude of the greater part of humanity. He also requested a special liturgical feast in the Universal Church for His Sacred Heart to be celebrated on Friday, a week after Corpus Christi. He chose the first Friday of every month to worship Him because he was crucified and died on this day for the salvation of all of us. On that day, He asked for a solemn act of reparation for all offenses heaped upon Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
As for the fruit of this worship, the Savior Himself summarized it in His promises to Saint Margaret Mary of Alacoque:
1- I will grant them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2- I will establish peace in their homes.
3- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4- I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5- I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6- Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7- Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8- Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9- I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored.
10- I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11- Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
12- I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
The devotion became popular after St. Margaret Mary’s death in 1690. However, because the Church is always careful in approving a private apparition or devotion, the feast was not established as an official feast for all of France until 1765.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart was formally approved by Pope Pius IX on May 8, 1873, and 26 years later, on July 21, 1899, Pope Leo XIII urgently recommended that all bishops throughout the world observe the feast in their diocese.
In the Maronite Church, the month of June is dedicated to the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday, the Second Sunday of Pentecost. In addition to the liturgical celebration, there are many prayers and devotional practices related to the heart of Jesus:
Novena to the Heart of Jesus
Rosary of the Heart of Jesus
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Eucharistic adoration in the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Prayer of consecration of the family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Hymns to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Of all, the cult of the Sacred Heart remains, and it continues to be one of the most popular and widespread in the Church.
Questions for each of us:
1-What can you do this month, which Jesus dedicated for the worship of His Sacred Heart, to practice this devotion for your salvation and the salvation of others?
2-Are you dedicating time and promoting this devotion, so your name and the names of the ones you love could be written on Jesus’ Heart?
3-What do the heart of Jesus, the love of Jesus, the blood and water which were poured from His heart, and the Mysteries of the Eucharist and reconciliation mean to you after receiving these promises from Jesus?
