The Pope: A document about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for a world that seems heartless

Alessandro di Bussolo – Vatican City

A new document on the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to reflect on the aspects of “Love of the Lord that can illuminate the path of ecclesiastical renewal; But they also say something important to a world that seems to have lost its heart,” Pope Francis declares End of the plenary sessionGreetings to the Italian faithful, it expresses its intention to announce it in September, while the celebrations take place to mark the 350th anniversary of the first appearance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Santa Margherita Maria Alacoque, in 1673. The celebrations begin on December 27, 2023, and end on June 27, 2025.

I am pleased to have prepared the document that brings together the precious reflections of previous judicial texts and the long history going back to the Holy Scriptures, to propose today once again, to the entire Church, this devotion full of spiritual beauty.

Prayer for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar

This announcement comes as we traditionally experience the month of June Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Francis states that the Feast of the Sacred Heart and the Commemoration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which the Church is preparing to celebrate in the coming days, “reminds us of the necessity of conforming to the sacrificial love of Christ and calls us to trust with confidence in the intercession of the Mother of God.” He asks us to pray thus:

We ask the Lord for peace through the intercession of his mother. Peace in suffering Ukraine, peace in Palestine, in Israel, peace in Myanmar… Let us pray that Our Lady will give us the gift of peace and that the world will not suffer so much from wars.

Greetings in Arabic and German

The Supreme Pontiff, addressing the Arabic-speaking faithful, particularly greeted those arriving from Iraq from the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph in Ankawa, reminding that “just as the wind moves the leaves of trees, so the Holy Spirit moves our souls.” And he guides us towards the light.” The Pope greeted the German-speaking faithful, recalling that today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germany. “Grateful for the long and fruitful history of faith in your lands – is his prayer – and we invoke the Holy Spirit to always keep faith, hope and love alive in you.”

Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Origins of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The iconography represents the Sacred Heart of Jesus with Christ crowned with thorns, overcome by the cross and wounded by the spear, in eternal memory of the greatest gesture he made for us: sacrificing his life for the salvation of humanity. Finally, surrounded by flames that symbolize the merciful jealousy that Christ feels toward sinners. The first traces of the cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be found in the Middle Ages, in the ideas of German mystics such as Matilda of Magdeburg, Matilda of Hackeborn, Gertrude of Helveta and the Dominican Blessed Enrico Suso. However, it was only in the 15th century that this cult reached great prosperity thanks to Saint Margaret Alacoque and Saint John Eudes, the first of whom the Bishop of Rennes allowed to celebrate a celebration in honor of the Heart of Jesus within his community in 1672. In 1765 Clement XIII granted Poland and the brotherhood Romanization of the Sacred Heart The possibility of celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in this particular century a heated debate has arisen. In fact, the Congregation of Rites states that the object of this worship is the flesh heart of Jesus, a symbol of his love, but the Jansenists interpret this as an act of idolatry. Only in 1856, with Pius IX, was this celebration expanded to include the Universal Church and included in the liturgical calendar.

Saint Margaret Alacock: Apostle of the Heart of Jesus

Marguerite Alacoque is a Vestanden nun who has lived in the French monastery of Paray-le-Monial, on the Loire River, since 1671. She was already famous as a great mystic when she received the first visit from Jesus on December 27, 1673. He invited her to take within the community of the Last Supper the place she had been Concerning John the Apostle who physically rested his head on Jesus' chest, “My divine Heart is so longing for love for mankind, that it is no longer capable of it. It must contain within itself the burning fires of His love, and it must spread it. He said to her, 'I have chosen you for this great plan.'” The following year, Margaret had two more visions: in the first the heart of Jesus on a throne of flames, brighter than the sun and more transparent than crystal, surrounded by a crown of thorns and in the other he saw Christ ablaze with glory, with flames coming out of his chest on all sides, so that it resembled… The furnace. At this point, Jesus asks her to receive Communion every first Friday for nine consecutive months and to prostrate herself on the ground for an hour every night between Thursday and Friday. Thus the practices of the nine Fridays and the Holy Hour of Adoration were born. In a fourth vision, Christ requests a celebration to honor his heart and reform The insults he received through prayer.

Portrait of Saint Margaret Mary Alacock

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