Mary's Immaculate Heart

 

 Traditional Feast day August 22

also May 16

When we practice devotion to the Immaculate Heart, we venerate not only the physical heart of Mary, but everything the heart symbolizes. Veneration of the Immaculate Heart is the veneration for the whole person of Mary.

We know that Mary is Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, the Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, Mother of all men, Mediatrix of all Graces. In the devotion to the Immaculate Heart, all these titles and many others are combined.

This all-embracing devotion has been saved for wide-spead attention in our own day. The origin of the devotion, however, can be traced back several centuries.

The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of mary closely parallels the devotion to the sacred Heart of Jesus. In some ways, devotion to the Immaculate Heart prepared the way for devotion to the sacred Heart, just as Mary prepares the way for Jesus.

Until the middle of the 17th century, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was unknown, except to a few privileged souls. In 1641, St. John Euded began preaching devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. In 1638, he published his Devotion to the Most Pure Heart and Holy Name of Mary.

The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was first celebrated in 1648. About 30 years later, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary and asked for devotion to His Sacred Heart. By 1680 devotion to the Immaculate Heart was widely known. In 1839, Our Lady gave great impetus to the devotion when she appeared to St. Catherine Laboure' and instructed her to introduce the Miraculous Medal. As we know, one side of the medal represents the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary, side by side. No words were needed on the medal, as directed by the Blessed Mother.

The two hearts told the whole story.

  

At Blangy, in 1840, Our Lady gave Sister Bisqueyburu the Green Scapular, which is called the Badge of the Immaculate Heart.

At Fatima in 1917, Our Lady told Lucia she was to remain on earth to help establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart. A few moments later the children saw in front of Our Lady a heart surrounded by thorns. This understood this to be the Heart of Mary pierced by sins and desiring reparation. After Lucia was in the convent, OUr Lady appeared to her and asked for the devotion of the Five First Saturdays in reparation to the Immaculate Heart.

Today the world needs Mary as never before; let us ponder the words of Jacinta to Lucia:

 

 

In 1942, Pope Pius XII dedicated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The following year he fixed the feast to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Universal Church on August 22nd.

Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(especially August 14 -- August 22)

Holy Mother Church dedicates the month of August to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On August 15 we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, and on August 22, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart.

The novena is quite simple. It consists of these three parts (the prayers are given below):

1) State the intention of the novena. 2) Pray the Magnificat.

3) Pray the Litany of Loreto (or the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Say each day for nine days.

We earnestly hope that you will join with us in praying this novena to Our Lady, and in celebrating, in a fitting manner, the two great Marian feasts with the intervening octave.

The Magnificat (Canticle of Mary)
(St. Luke 1:46-55)

 My soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant From this day all generations shall call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever. Amen.

 

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the word, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Queen of the Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; spare us O Lord!
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O God, whose only begotten Son by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that meditating upon these mysteries in the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Amen.