The Immaculate Heart Of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary is sometimes depicted with seven swords representing the Seven Dolors (or Seven Sorrows) of Mary. In traditional iconography, she is shown with seven swords encircling her chest, even without her heart explicitly visible. This icon is known as "Mother of God, Softener of Evil Hearts." We will discuss the Sorrowful Heart of Mary and the devotion to the Seven Sorrows in a separate post.
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary focuses on her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her motherly affection for humankind. Devotion to Mary and her heart centers on uniting humanity to God through her Immaculate Heart. Later, this devotion also focused on making reparation for offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart, as these offenses are ultimately against God, particularly concerning the Theotokos.
Some of the most ancient offenses come from the arch-heretic Helvidius, who held that Mary was not a perpetual virgin and that Saint Joseph fathered other children with her. There were even blasphemies in the Jewish Zohar that call the Mother of God a harlot, claiming she conceived a child out of wedlock with a Roman soldier. The Zohar even goes so far as to say Christ went to Hell after he died and spent an eternity boiling in excrement.
In recent history, there have been other offenses, whether by the denial of Marian Dogmas by Protestants or by sacrilegious art. An example is Chris Ofili's 1999 work, The Holy Virgin Mary, an image of the Theotokos made with elephant feces and pasted with pornographic images of women's private parts.
Historical Development of the Devotion
Before the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, the devotion is first mentioned by Saint Ildefonsus of Toledo (607-670 AD) in his spiritual work, Libellus de Corona Virginis. He wrote, "But when it was pleasing to Him who had chosen you from your mother's womb, your immaculate heart was moved with pity for us. Then - by the assistance of your maternal hand - we were led from the domain of darkness to sanctity's realm of infinite light."
The devotion was then spread throughout the Middle Ages by Saints Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 AD), Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD), Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1240/1241-1298 AD), Gertrude the Great (1256-1302 AD), Bridget of Sweden (1304-1374 AD), and Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444 AD).
Renaissance and Later Developments
During the Renaissance Period, Saint John Eudes (1601-1681 AD) continued the spread of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph.
Saint John Eudes, along with holy priests John Peter Pinamonti (1632-1703 AD, who authored Hell Opened To Christians in 1688), and Joseph de Gallifet (1663-1749 AD) all tried and failed to establish a feast to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, in 1805, Pope Pius VII allowed a feast to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Catherine Labouré (1806-1876 AD) received a private revelation from the Virgin Mary and introduced the Miraculous Medal in 1830 AD, which depicts both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Anthony Mary Claret founded the congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly called the Claretians, in 1849 AD.
20th Century and Fatima
Finally, in the 20th Century (1916-1917 AD), the Church received the private revelations of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal from three shepherd children. These apocalyptic messages called for the faithful to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world, the conversion of sinners, and to make reparation for the sins against God and the blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Besides the Rosary, the Virgin Mary revealed the First Saturday Devotion to Sister Lucia on May 13, 1917, December 10, 1926, and February 15, 1926. The devotion consists of:
A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.
O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.
We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home.
Amen.
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary focuses on her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her motherly affection for humankind. Devotion to Mary and her heart centers on uniting humanity to God through her Immaculate Heart. Later, this devotion also focused on making reparation for offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart, as these offenses are ultimately against God, particularly concerning the Theotokos.
Some of the most ancient offenses come from the arch-heretic Helvidius, who held that Mary was not a perpetual virgin and that Saint Joseph fathered other children with her. There were even blasphemies in the Jewish Zohar that call the Mother of God a harlot, claiming she conceived a child out of wedlock with a Roman soldier. The Zohar even goes so far as to say Christ went to Hell after he died and spent an eternity boiling in excrement.
In recent history, there have been other offenses, whether by the denial of Marian Dogmas by Protestants or by sacrilegious art. An example is Chris Ofili's 1999 work, The Holy Virgin Mary, an image of the Theotokos made with elephant feces and pasted with pornographic images of women's private parts.
Historical Development of the Devotion
Before the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, the devotion is first mentioned by Saint Ildefonsus of Toledo (607-670 AD) in his spiritual work, Libellus de Corona Virginis. He wrote, "But when it was pleasing to Him who had chosen you from your mother's womb, your immaculate heart was moved with pity for us. Then - by the assistance of your maternal hand - we were led from the domain of darkness to sanctity's realm of infinite light."
The devotion was then spread throughout the Middle Ages by Saints Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 AD), Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD), Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1240/1241-1298 AD), Gertrude the Great (1256-1302 AD), Bridget of Sweden (1304-1374 AD), and Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444 AD).
Renaissance and Later Developments
During the Renaissance Period, Saint John Eudes (1601-1681 AD) continued the spread of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph.
Saint John Eudes, along with holy priests John Peter Pinamonti (1632-1703 AD, who authored Hell Opened To Christians in 1688), and Joseph de Gallifet (1663-1749 AD) all tried and failed to establish a feast to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, in 1805, Pope Pius VII allowed a feast to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Catherine Labouré (1806-1876 AD) received a private revelation from the Virgin Mary and introduced the Miraculous Medal in 1830 AD, which depicts both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Anthony Mary Claret founded the congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly called the Claretians, in 1849 AD.
20th Century and Fatima
Finally, in the 20th Century (1916-1917 AD), the Church received the private revelations of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal from three shepherd children. These apocalyptic messages called for the faithful to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world, the conversion of sinners, and to make reparation for the sins against God and the blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Besides the Rosary, the Virgin Mary revealed the First Saturday Devotion to Sister Lucia on May 13, 1917, December 10, 1926, and February 15, 1926. The devotion consists of:
- Going to confession on or shortly before the first Saturday of the month.
- Attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
- Praying five decades of the Rosary.
- Offering up 15 minutes of meditation while keeping company with the Blessed Mother.
- Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
- Blasphemies against her perpetual virginity.
- Blasphemies against her divine maternity, while refusing at the same time to recognize her as Mother of humankind.
- The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to implant in the hearts of children indifference or contempt, or even hatred towards the Immaculate Mother.
- The offenses of those who outrage her directly in her holy images.
Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.
O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.
We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home.
Amen.
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