Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart?

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rben20

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Hello Catholics,

I am a Roman Catholic learning the Eastern traditions for the sake of knowledge and interest. In that time, I have come to understand the different traditions and expressions of Christ and His Body, the Church among the many churches and rites that make up the Catholic Body. I just noticed that in the Roman tradition we have private prayers and devotions to specific parts of Our Lord and His Mother, most notably the heart. Why exactly parts such as the heart and not the entire self of Jesus or Mary? Why not just Sacred Jesus or Holy Mary as opposed to their hearts? Funny realization I came to as I looked at the Eastern traditions who do not have such devotions.Thanks
 
The hearts are symbols of their love.
In actual fact the heart is not the seat of love, it is a muscle that pumps blood around the body, but traditionally it has been spoken of as the symbol and even source of love.
As you’ll know, hearts continue to be a symbol of love in our society and we still use the language. Children draw love-hearts, and hearts appear on some greeting cards;
and we might say, “I hold you in my heart”, or “I love you with all my heart”.
You will find that many Catholics focus less on the physical symbols (and even find them too sentimental and insipid) and they focus more simply on the reality of the actual love of God, though there are many who are still inspired by the images.
 
It’s more to do with the connotations the Heart has, of love, and mercy then any deep theological reason, atleast that’s what i think, may one of our Brothers or Sisters correct me if im wrong, but I am pretty sure that’s the reason.
 
Out of the organs of the human body the Bible always distinguished the head for the thoughts, the heart for the higher emotions and the kidneys (reins) for the instinctual feelings.

The truth (mind) in itself is not enough, the instinctual is beyond our full control, we shall give to God our mind and heart as Jesus and Mary did.
 
Jesus commissioned St. Faustina to have a special image painted, the Image of Divine Mercy. He wanted the world to know His mercy through this image, in which He was standing with His right hand raised in blessing, the other pointing to red and pale rays issuing from His heart, and a gaze of Mercy in His eyes. He even told Faustina to have the specific words, Jesus, I trust in You, placed at the bottom of the picture.

I’m not sure how faithfully the images of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart portray the visions of the saints who experienced them, but we have Saint Faustina’s handwritten diary with the description of the Divine Mercy just as it’s painted.
.

saint-faustina.com/Image.php
 
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