Sacred Heart Of Jesus

[mulls]

explain.

[Brother Adam]

Welcome to a 2000 year old culture.


No thank you necessary.

[StColette]

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has an ancient history. At the beginning of devotion to the Sacred Heart we find references of the Fathers of the Church to the Sacred Wound of the Side of Jesus. In time devotion to this Sacred Wound led to devotion to the Sacred Heart. From this Sacred Wound, with the Blood and Water, the Church and the Sacraments were born. The Blood symbolized the Holy Eucharist and the Water symbolized Baptism. As St. Ambrose (d.397) stated: "The Water cleanses us, the Blood redeems us." This was also the teaching of St. John Chrysostom (d.407).

Another theme that the Fathers of the Church contemplated was that, at the Last Supper, St. John leaned upon the breast of Our Lord and thereby received Divine Wisdom. St. Augustine (d.430) explains that St. John drank in "sublime secrets from the innermost depths of Our Lord's Heart." St. Paulinus of Nola (d.431) taught that this was how St. John received the wisdom to write His Gospel and the Apocalypse.

In a later age another theme that was considered by William of St. Thierry (d.1148) was that we should spiritually "enter wholly into the Heart of Jesus, into the Holy of Holies." St. William's friend, the great St. Bernard (d.1153) explained that the piercing of Our Blessed Lord's side reveals His goodness and the charity of His Heart for us. Another writer of the Middle Ages, Richard of St. Victor (d.1173) taught that no sweetness or tenderness could be found that could be compared to that of the Heart of Jesus.

The earliest known hymn to the Sacred Heart, "Summi Regis Cor Aveto" is believed to have been written by the Norbertine, Blessed Herman Joseph (d.1241) of Cologne, Germany. This hymn begins beautifully with, "I hail Thee kingly Heart most high."

St. Lutgarde (d.1246) the Cistercian mystic of Aywieres, Belgium had visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When once asked by Our Lord what gift she wanted, she replied: "I want Your Heart." To which Jesus responded: "I want your heart." Then Our Blessed Lord granted the Saint a very special grace. He mystically exchanged hearts with her. St. Lutgarde is the first known mystic to receive this grace.

Of St. Clare (d.1253) we read that she greeted many times a day the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. St. Bonaventure (d.1274), the Franciscan and a great theologian, wrote: "Since we have reached the most sweet Heart of Jesus, and it is good for us to abide in It, let us not readily turn away from It. How good, how sweet it is to dwell in Thy Heart, O good Jesus! Who is there who would not desire this pearl? I would rather give all else, all my thoughts and all the affections of my soul in exchange for It, casting my whole mind into the Heart of my good Jesus." St. Bonaventure also wrote: "Who is there who would not love this wounded Heart? Who would not love, in return, Him Who loves so much?"

St. Gertrude the Great (d.1301 or 1302) is a very important saint in the history of devotion to the Sacred Heart. She was born on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1256. She joined the Benedictine Nuns as a boarding student at Helfta, Germany at a very early age and later became a nun there. She was blessed to have as her friend in the community, St. Mechtilde of Hackeborn (d.1298). The community at Helfta was Benedictine—however they followed customs of the Cistercians—hence sometimes St. Gertrude is said, incorrectly, to have been a Cistercian.

St. Gertrude was a Saint blessed with many mystical experiences and her devotion to the Sacred Heart was so great that she truly is the St. Margaret Mary of the Middle Ages. St. Mechtilde of Hackeborn also had a very special devotion for the Sacred Heart.

So great was St. Gertrude's love for the Sacred Heart that once, when St. John the Apostle appeared to her, she asked him why he did not write of the Sacred Heart. He replied, "Because I was charged with instructing the newly-formed Church concerning the mysteries of the Uncreated Word." St. John then told St. Gertrude that the grace of learning of the Sacred Heart was reserved to her century, to rouse it from its lethargy so that it would be inflamed with the great worth of Divine Love.

St. Gertrude prayed: "Through Thy Wounded Heart, dearest Lord, pierce my heart so deeply with the dart of Thy love that it may no longer be able to contain earthly things but may be governed by the action of Thy Divinity alone."

Once, when St. Gertrude's friend, St. Mechtilde, was praying for a woman who was suffering, Our Blessed Lord said to St. Mechtilde that the woman should, with childlike simplicity, bring each of her troubles to Him and that she should seek consolation in His Compassionate Heart. St. Mechtilde taught that Jesus has given us the gift of His Sacred Heart so that, when suffering, we can seek our refuge and our consolation there.

Let us now consider three hymns from the Middle Ages. One, by the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi (d.1306), refers to Christ writing the names of devout souls upon His Heart. Another hymn, written by the English hermit, Richard Rolle (d.1349?), speaks of how it was for us that Our Lord's Heart was pierced. And in a hymn of one of Richard Rolle's followers we read of "Jesus, Sweetheart," and then the hymn explains that the Lord "carest for naught but love of me."

Two of the mystics from the group known as the "Rhineland Mystics" in Germany referred to Our Lord's Heart. The Dominican Johannes Tauler (d.1361) encourages one to take refuge in this sweet Heart which is open to those who give their hearts to Jesus. Blessed Henry Suso (d.1366), also a Dominican, once had a vision of an Angel taking his heart from him and uniting it in rapturous love to the Heart of Jesus.

The Carthusian monks were among the earliest religious orders to be devoted to the Sacred Heart. The Carthusian, Ludolph of Saxony (d.1378), wrote: "Our Lord's Heart was wounded with the wound of love for our sake, so that, loving Him in return, we might enter through that open wound into His Heart and there live inflamed with His love, just as iron cast into the fire becomes incandescent."

The great Dominican mystic, St. Catherine of Siena (d.1380), one day said to Our Lord: "Sweet, Spotless Lamb, You were dead when Your Side was opened. Why, then, did You allow that Your Heart should be thus wounded and opened by force?" Our Lord answered: "For several reasons, of which I will tell you the principal. My desires regarding the human race were infinite and the actual time of suffering and torture was at an end. Since my love is infinite, I could not therefore by this suffering manifest to you how much I loved you. That is why I willed to reveal to you the secret of my Heart by letting you see It open, that you might well understand that It loved you far more than I could prove to you by a suffering that was over."

Julian of Norwich (d.1416), the English anchoress and mystic, tells us of the following vision she had: "Then Our Lord looked into His Side and rejoiced. By this sweet look He had me gaze within this Wound. He showed me a fair, delectable place, and large enough for all mankind that shall be saved to rest in peace and in love. And therewith He had me recall His dear-worthy Blood and precious Water which He let pour out for love and He showed His blissful Heart."

A Carthusian, Dominic of Treves (d.1461), wrote: "In this most sweet Heart of Jesus, is found all virtue, the source of life, perfect consolation, the true light that enlightens every man."

The Italian Poor Clare Nun Blessed Baptista Varani (d.1527) honored and also shared in the sufferings of the sorrow-filled Heart of Jesus. When she asked Jesus how great was the sorrow of His Heart His answer was: "as great as the love which I bear toward my creatures." Our Blessed Lord told Blessed Baptista that the sorrows of His Heart were so great because so many people are in mortal sin.

The Carthusian, called Lansperguis (d.1539), recommended that people have a picture of the Sacred Heart to foster their devotion. He encouraged that the picture be placed where it would be easily seen so that by seeing it holy love would be kindled in the soul. He also encouraged that this picture be kissed with affection. This is perhaps the first reference to encouraging people to have a picture of the Sacred Heart.

St. Teresa of Avila (d.1582), the great Spanish Carmelite mystic and "Doctor of Prayer," explained that we should make the Sacred Wound our place of refuge as also did the Spanish Dominican, Venerable Louis of Grenada (d.1588).

Another reference from the 1500's to an image of the Sacred Heart is by the daughter of the English martyr, Sir Thomas Percy, who founded an abbey for English Benedictine Nuns at Brussels in 1596. Lady Mary Percy had the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus placed over the door of the abbey. Years later, this abbey was to have the first altar in Belgium dedicated to the Sacred Heart.

St. Francis de Sales (d.1622), who with St. Jane de Chantel (d.1641) founded the Visitation Nuns, explained that this congregation was truly "the work of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary." And St. Jane, herself, stated: "May God give us the grace to live and die in the Sacred Heart."

In 1629, Mathias Hejnal published a book about the Sacred Heart and Gospor Drusbichi, in 1662, published another one. In 1642, the Puritan Protestant, Thomas Goodwin, published a book about the Sacred Heart which was later, in 1819, reprinted by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodists.

St. John Eudes (d.1680) was a great apostle of devotion to both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the religious community that he founded, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, he brought about—for the first time ever—the celebration of a feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and one for the Immaculate Heart of Mary. St. John Eudes taught that the Sacred Heart is a Furnace of Divine Love. Those who desire to be united to this most loving Heart are purified, inflamed and transformed by this Divine Fire.

(All quotations in the above section are taken with permission from "The Sacred Heart in the Life of the Church" by Mother Margaret Williams, R.S.C.J. published by Sheed & Ward, New York and "Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—The Doctrine and Its History" by Father J. V. Bainvel, S.J. published by Burns & Oates Ltd., London.)

[url="http://www.livingwatercommunity.com/sacred_heart_of_jesus.htm"]http://www.livingwatercommunity.com/sacred...rt_of_jesus.htm[/url]

[Donna]

That's a good Q, mulls. (And a good answer, Colette!).

His heart...afflicted, afraid (in the Garden); mocked, humiliated.

"Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart."

Have you asked Jesus for an explanation as well?

[mulls]

so this is devotion just to Jesus' heart, right?

[dUSt]

[quote name='mulls' date='Sep 17 2004, 08:50 AM'] so this is devotion just to Jesus' heart, right? [/quote]
Yes. His heart, and everything His heart symbolizes and stands for--and ultimately, Jesus Himself.

[DominaNostra]

Mulls, you may have been confusing the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is venerated in a similar way and has a tradition which may actually be longer than the Sacred Heart (could someone clarify who knows? Thanks).

[DominaNostra]

I looked it up in Catholic Encyclopedia. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary finds its origins with Saint Bernard in the late eleventh or early twelfth century. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus originated with Saint Margaret Mary in the seventeenth century.

[mulls]

so people were devoted to Mary's heart before Jesus' heart?

seems kinda odd.

well, it all seems odd to me, but that's why i'm me.

[dUSt]

[quote name='mulls' date='Sep 17 2004, 01:55 PM'] so people were devoted to Mary's heart before Jesus' heart?

seems kinda odd.

well, it all seems odd to me, but that's why i'm me. [/quote]
I know of many people who were devoted to the Bible before they were devoted to Jesus...

As long as we remember that all these things lead us to [b]Christ[/b], then we'll be okay. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa--the church has many different devotions and forms of worship, ways to learn, etc--truly encompassing all cultures and personalities. Just remember that [b]everything[/b] points to Christ. As long as these things are accomplishing this goal, we shouldn't place restrictions on how we are lead to [b]Him[/b].

[DominaNostra]

It is also important to remember that all those "people" were not only Catholics, they were also the only Christians, so one would say, "Christians were devoted to Mary's Heart before they were devoted to Jesus's Heart."

[StColette]

The History of the Devotion

The history of the devotion to the Heart of Mary is connected on many points with that to the Heart of Jesus; nevertheless, it has its own history which, although very simple, is not devoid of interest. The attention of Christians was early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The Gospel itself invited this attention with exquisite discretion and delicacy. What was first excited was compassion for the Virgin Mother. It was, so to speak, at the foot of the Cross that the Christian heart first made the acquaintance of the Heart of Mary. Simeon's prophecy paved the way and furnished the devotion with one of its favourite formulae and most popular representations: the heart pierced with a sword. But Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the Cross; "she cooperated through charity", as St. Augustine says, "in the work of our redemption".

Another Scriptural passage to help in bringing out the devotion was the twice-repeated saying of St. Luke, that Mary kept all the sayings and doings of Jesus in her heart, that there she might ponder over them and live by them. A few of the Virgin's sayings, also recorded in the Gospel, particularly the Magnificat, disclose new features in Marian psychology. Some of the Fathers also throw light upon the psychology of the Virgin, for instance, St. Ambrose, when in his commentary on St. Luke he holds Mary up as the ideal of virginity, and St. Ephrem, when he so poetically sings of the coming of the Magi and the welcome accorded them by the humble Mother. Little by little, in consequence of the application of the Canticle of the loving relations between God and the Blessed Virgin, the Heart of Mary came to be for the Christian Church the Heart of the Spouse of the Canticles as well as the Heart of the Virgin Mother. Some passages from other Sapiential Books, likewise understood as referring to Mary, in whom they personify wisdom and her gentle charms, strengthened this impression. Such are the texts in which wisdom is presented as the mother lofty love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope. In the New Testament Elizabeth proclaims Mary blessed because she has believed the words of the angel; the Magnificat is an expression of her humility; and in answering the woman of the people, who in order to exalt the Son proclaimed the Mother blessed, did not Jesus himself say: "Blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it", thus in a manner inviting us to seek in Mary that which had so endeared her to God and caused her to be selected as the Mother of Jesus? The Fathers understood His meaning, and found in these words a new reason for praising Mary. St. Leo says that through faith and love she conceived her Son spiritually, even before receiving Him into her womb, and St. Augustine tells us that she was more blessed in having borne Christ in her heart than in having conceived Him in the flesh.

It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Church and used in the Offices of the Compassion and of the Seven Dolours. Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book "De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis" (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent. Penitentiary of Rouen in the thirteenth century. In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1302) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first spiritual children of St. Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's "Book of Revelations". Tauler (d. 1361) beholds in Mary the model of a mystical, just as St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the Second Nocturn for the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his "Theotimus".

During this same period one finds occasional mention of devotional practices to the Heart of Mary, e.g. in the "Antidotarium" of Nicolas du Saussay (d.1488), in Julius II, and in the "Pharetra" of Lanspergius. In the second half of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved to St. Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it public, and to have a feast celebrated in honor of the Heart of Mary, first at Autun in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses. He established several religious societies interested in upholding and promoting the devotion, of which his large book on the Coeur Admirable (Admirable Heart), published in 1681, resembles a summary. Pere Eudes' efforts to secure the approval of an Office and feast failed at Rome, but, notwithstanding, this disappointment, the devotion to the Heart of Mary progressed. In 1699 Father Pinamonti (d. 1703) published in Italian his beautiful little work on the Holy Heart of Mary, and in 1725 Pere de Gallifet combined the cause of the Heart of Mary with that of the Heart of Jesus in order to obtain Rome's approbation of the two devotions and the institution of the two feasts. In 1729 his project was defeated, and in 1765 the two causes were separated, to assure the success of the principal one.

In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement, started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of this movement were first of all the revelation of the "miraculous medal" in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the world and was the source of numberless graces. On 21 July, 1855, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the Universal Church.

[DominaNostra]

Mulls, it is also important to recognize what is written in [i]Unam Sanctam [/i](Pope Boniface VIII) to understand a summary of Catholic understanding on this subject. It states: "For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior." With this being true, it is clear that some devotions will develop regarding the Saints or Our Lady before directly being applied to God Himself. Pope Boniface VIII is speaking specifically of temporal power being subordinated to spiritual power, i.e., all must be subject to the Pope for salvation, including temporal authorities, but the source he uses to establish this is Saint Dionysius, and the Papal Bull asserts that this is proper theology. If that is understood, then, as Saint Dionysius asserts, the lowest things reach the highest by intermediaries, i.e., humans reach Almighty God first and primarily through the Saints and the Blessed Mother.

By the way, does anyone know if the Blessed Dionysius referred to in [i]Unam Sanctam[/i] is Pope Saint Dionysius (the first Pope to die without martyrdom, among other things)? I assumed that this is the one to whom the Bull refers because Pope Saint Dionysius condemned Sabellianism and established teaching of the Trinity in the correct understanding. If anyone knows, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

[Theoketos]

It also important to note that we are devoted to you Mulls, but do not worship you like an Idol.

[Cure of Ars]

[quote name='mulls' date='Sep 17 2004, 08:50 AM'] so this is devotion just to Jesus' heart, right? [/quote]
Just like Protestant’s and Catholics have a devotion to Jesus’ name.

Sometimes it help to focus on a small part that goes to the heart of the matter. Pun intended