Devotions to the Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart

	In the Church, the devotions to the Heart of Mary and to the Sacred Heart have developed alongside each other In 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the Church and the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1942, Pope Pius XII dedicated the Church and the world by a similar act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope John Paul II renewed that same consecration in both 1984 and in 2000. Jesus and Mary are inseparable. This is why when we consecrate ourselves, we dedicate our lives to both Hearts at the same time. In the Litanies of the Sacred Heart, we say: “Sacred Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother…” In the Virgin’s womb, through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus became man with a human heart. From the outset, the two Hearts were united in a lovable way. Mary’s Heart was the first to venerate the Heart of Jesus and to realize the depths of his love. Mary, mother and educator, formed the human Heart of her son. At the moment when the spear of the Roman soldier pierced Christ’s Heart on the Cross, Mary’s Heart was also pierced by the sword of sorrows. (…) In the Catholic Church, the devotion to the Heart of Mary and to the Sacred Heart have developed alongside each other. The day after the feast of the Sacred Heart, we remember to celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary (…). In 1916, during the three apparitions of the angel in Fatima, the angel of peace spoke of both Christ's and Mary's Hearts. (…) MDN Team