In the Catholic tradition, the month of June is dedicated to worship the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At first glance, this may seem very strange. Worship the Jesus' heart? So, let's look at it together!
The beginnings in the Gospel according to John
In the Gospel of John, in the section on the crucifixion of Jesus, we read the following words: “But when they (the soldiers) came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” (Jn 19: 32-34). From the beginning of Christianity, Jesus' pierced heart was seen as a symbol of the complete sacrifice and total love of Jesus Christ for mankind. In this context, the Evangelist John even suggests that the piercing of Jesus' heart is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah about how whole society seek and lament the figure of the pierced messiah who brings redemption. In addition, the oozing blood and water is a sign of the sacraments (especially baptism) that are the fruit of Jesus' redemptive work.
Rise in the 17th century
However, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was introduced relatively recently. The apostle of the worship of the Heart of Jesus was John Eudes, a French saint from the 17th century, but a great increase in his worship occurred after Jesus appeared to the French nun of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and asked her to expand the worship of his Heart as a symbol of his infinite love. Margaret Mary Alacoque was blessed in 1864 and saint in 1920. In that year, Pope Leo XIII. consecrated the whole world to the Heart of Jesus. It is in those times and in our environment that we observe an increase worship of Jesus’s Heart.
Symbol of sacrificial love
Yes, worship of the Heart of Jesus may indeed seem strange. However, when we realize that the content of this feast is gratitude for the sacrifice of life and infinite love, we can understand it better. How grateful would we be if someone saved our lives? And what if he sacrificed his own? So, it is not the cult of any bodily organ, but of love that has showed up itself in the sacrifice of life. The Feast of the Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the third Friday after the Feast of Lent, and since it is always in June, this whole month is dedicated to the worship of the Heart of Jesus. However, Catholics do not worship the Heart of Jesus only in June, but throughout the year, always on the first Friday of each month.
The most famous shrines
Among the most famous temples dedicated to the Heart of Jesus, let us mention at least the shrine in Paray-Le-Monial, the place of revelation of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which is a famous landmark of Paris.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris
