On the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In Extraordinary Calendar of the Roman Rite, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the 22nd August, one week after the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. In the Ordinary Calendar the feast was moved to the Saturday following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the 22ndof August now celebrates the Coronation of Mary. It is therefore still fitting that the month of August, which celebrates at its heart the glorious Assumption of the Mother of our Lord, should be dedicated to her immaculate heart.
The veneration of Mary’s immaculate heart is one with imitation at its root, as is the case in all veneration of the saints. Thus it differs essentially from devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, for this involves a Divine Person, and thus worship. Devotion to the Sacred Heart involves contemplation of Divine Love for humanity, for Jesus’ love for us all. Devotion to Mary’s immaculate heart, on the other hand, involves contemplation of her love for her son as her only child and more especially as her God.
“She treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2:19)
Mary was clearly knowledgeable of Scriptures as her Magnificat song testifies (Lk 1:46-55). She clearly loved God in His Word and lived by the Scriptures. Therefore, with the Word being made flesh in her womb, and living with her as her son, she was truly living with and by the Word, and so stored up the events of His life in her heart (Lk 2:51). While this was joyful at the beginning, she also soon had to encounter sorrows such as those contemplated in the Seven Sorrows devotion (cf. Lk 2:35; 48-49; Mt 2:14; the crucifixion narratives).
The purity of her heart also means that she could see and hear the Lord perfectly. As Solomon is granted a “listening” or “discerning” heart as a request from the Lord to rule the people, Mary too must have a heart that constantly listens to the word of God and puts it into practice (Lk: 1:38; cf. Lk 8:21; 11:28, Mt 12:50). While Mary is indeed blessed for bearing and rearing the Lord, her faith makes her the more blessed (Lk 11:27-28; 1:42, 45). St Augustine testifies that Mary was more blessed in having conceived Jesus in her heart than in her womb. Secondly, through the purity of her heart she was able to see God, indeed, the first to see Him in the flesh at His birth. This is because the pure in heart shall see God (Mt 5:8).
We may therefore look to Mary’s heart as an example of how our hearts should respond to the love of God. By imitating Mary in her love of the Lord, we too will bring His love to others. She did this in a singular and pre-eminent way on account of her sinlessness which God gifted to her in her immaculate conception. Indeed, it was necessary that the woman from whom the Word would be made flesh have a heart entirely dedicated to God. It is entirely by the grace of God that Mary remained immaculate and thus brought forth the Saviour. Her heart is the earth mentioned in Isaiah 45:8 “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down saving justice, let the earth open up and blossom with salvation, and let justice sprout with it; I, the Lord, have created it!” The Lord, raining down saving grace upon Mary from her conception, brought forth saving justice, the Saviour, from her immaculate heart and womb. The Church acknowledges this in her liturgy in the season of Advent. Had her heart not been open and willing to receive it, salvation would not have come forth from her.
We too should have hearts open to the grace of God, to His word, to His life, for in open hearts salvation is brought forth by God, as it was in Mary. Our response to God’s calling, to His grace, should always echo those words uttered by Mary at the Annunciation and repeated and reinforced by Jesus in His teaching and during His passion “Let it be done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38, cf. Mt 6:10; 26:39, 42). We venerate and consecrate ourselves to her immaculate heart in the desire to follow her example.
Lord, have mercy Lord,have mercy
Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy
Lord, 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 world, Have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us
Heart of Mary, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, after God’s own Heart, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, in union with the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, the vessel of the Holy Spirit, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, shrine of the Trinity, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, home of the Word, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, immaculate in your creation, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, flooded with grace, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, blessed of all hearts, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, Throne of glory, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, Abyss of humbleness, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, Victim of love, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, nailed to the cross, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, comfort of the sad, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, refuge of the sinner, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, hope of the dying, Pray for us
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, Pray for us
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
L: Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart.
A: Conform our hearts to the heart of Jesus.
Let us pray: O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the hearts of both Mother and Son, through the same Christ our Lord. – Amen.
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