The Immaculate Heart of Mary is one of the most cherished devotions in the Catholic tradition. This devotion is a symbol of Mary’s love for God and her unswerving commitment to her Son, Jesus Christ. More than just a physical heart, the Immaculate Heart is a symbol of Mary's spiritual heart, her sentiments, virtues, and inner life.
The origins of the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can be traced back to the early Church. It gained popularity through the Middle Ages, with saints like St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Bonaventure, and St. John Eudes promoting it. However, it was in the 19th and 20th centuries, marked by the Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, that the devotion achieved global prominence.
In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to three shepherd children - Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta - in Fatima, Portugal. In these apparitions, she urged the children to promote devotion to her Immaculate Heart, promising salvation to those who embrace it. She called for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, and the observance of the Five First Saturdays devotion, which includes going to Confession, receiving Communion, reciting five decades of the Rosary, and meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.
From a theological standpoint, devotion to the Immaculate Heart is a call to imitate Mary's virtues of humility, obedience, and love. By venerating the Immaculate Heart, Catholics aspire to embody these virtues in their own lives. The heart, seen as the seat of love and emotion, signifies Mary's fullness of love for God and her willingness to cooperate fully in His plan of salvation.
Various practices are associated with this devotion. These include the First Saturday Devotion, Consecration to the Immaculate Heart, and the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which falls on the Saturday immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, typically in June.
The Enthronement of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in homes is another practice related to this devotion. This ceremony, which involves a priest or the family head placing images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in a prominent place in the home, signifies the family's commitment to live their lives in alignment with the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary devotion is an invitation to a transformative relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and through her, with Jesus Christ. As we venerate her heart, we are called to embrace humility, unconditional love, and sacrificial obedience, as Mary did. Above all, this devotion is a call to align our hearts with the heart of Mary, echoing her yes to God, and thus journeying deeper into the divine mystery of God’s love.