The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
No fixed feast day in the calendar
Mary’s pure heart loves God completely and always ponders his Word
What is this feast?
The feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates Mary’s love and purity. Here the “heart” does not just mean a part of the body, but the soul, the deepest place inside a person. The feast is celebrated right after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because the Mother’s heart is always united to the heart of her Son.
The story
The Gospel of Luke speaks twice about Mary’s heart. The first time, after the shepherds came to visit the Child in Bethlehem, Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19). The second time, after finding the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple, “his mother kept all these things in her heart.” (Lk 2:51).
That heart also knew sorrow. When Mary presented the Child in the Temple, old Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce her soul (cf. Lk 2:35). That is why, in pictures and statues, Mary’s heart has both roses and a flame of love, and a small sword as well.
Devotion to the Heart of Mary was spread by Saint John Eudes from the 17th century. In 1917 at Fatima, in apparitions recognized by the Church (a private revelation, not Scripture), Our Lady asked the shepherd children to pray and to make reparation to her Heart. In 1944, Pope Pius XII extended this feast to the whole Church.
Why does the Church celebrate this feast?
The Church celebrates it because Mary’s heart is a model for every Christian: a heart that keeps nothing for itself, but gives everything to God. Mary heard God’s Word, kept it in her heart and put it into practice. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary’s Heart, we ask her to lead us closer to Jesus.
A lesson for you
- Every evening, spend a minute looking back over your day and thanking God, the way Mary pondered things in her heart.
- Keep your heart pure: avoid bad words and bad images, and do not choose to hold on to bad thoughts.
- Pray the Rosary, the prayer Mary asked the children at Fatima to pray.
Identifying marks
- A red heart on Mary’s breast: the love Mary has for God and for everyone.
- A ring of white roses around the heart: Mary’s heart is pure, “immaculate”, which means God kept her free from original sin from the moment of her conception, and she was never stained by any sin.
- A small flame rising from the heart: Mary’s burning love for God.
- A small sword set crosswise through the heart: old Simeon’s words foretelling the sorrow Mary would suffer because of her Son (cf. Lk 2:35); this is a symbol, not a real wound.
- Her right hand pointing to her heart, her left hand open: Mary invites you to come close and learn to love God as she does.
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