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| (Cameron Smith-USA) |
THE IMMACULATE HEART of MARYis a feast in which we commemorate the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues, and above all, her love for her son Jesus, and as well as her compassionate love for all her children.
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is primarily based upon the Sacred Scriptures. In the New Testament, there are two references to the Heart of Mary in the Gospel according to St. Luke: .."Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. " (Lk 2: 19) and " His mother meanwhile kept all these things in her heart. " (Lk 2:51)
While we catch a glimpse of the beginning of this devotion in the 12 Century, through St. Anselm and St. Bernard, St. Gertrude the Great, and St. Mechtilde, St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) has been called the Doctor of the Heart of Mary due to his writings on Mary's heart. He wrote, "from her heart, as from a furnace of Divine Love, the Blessed Virgin spoke the words of the most ardent love."
St. John Eudes (d.1680) helped by his writings to begin a renewal in this devotion. Both Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. Pius X called him, "the father, Doctor, and Apostle of the liturgical cult of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary”.
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| Inigo Hicks- USA |
Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1944 to be celebrated on 22 August, coinciding with the traditional octave day of the Assumption, but in 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the Saturday, immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On October 13, 2013, as part of the Marian Day celebration, Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Traditionally, the heart is depicted pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage to the seven sorrows of Mary. Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the heart.
On October 13, 2013, as part of the Marian Day celebration, Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Traditionally, the heart is depicted pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage to the seven sorrows of Mary. Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the heart.
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| Stephen B. Whatley- England |