Today is once again Sacred Heart Friday. We are also on the cusp of Divine Mercy weekend, since Divine Mercy Sunday is coming up! It is one of my favorite days on the Church’s liturgical calendar. It give me great hope for the absolute washing away of my sins, a firm purpose of amendment, and final perseverance.
The fact that I got married on the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2008 is also a factor 😉
This post continues my attempt to link the Sacred Heart Devotion to that of the Divine Mercy.
In the Sacred Heart Devotion we have love of Jesus for Humanity. Our returning that love in reparation for sins is another core part of the devotion.
On Divine Mercy Sunday the floodgates of Mercy shower down upon us all to cover our sins. Soon after Jesus died on the Cross to redeem us for our sins, a Roman centurion threw a lance at his side to ensure He was dead; as the lance pierced Him blood and water flowed from His side.
John 19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there went out blood and water.
Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in you!
So goes the ‘Divine Mercy 3 O’Clock Prayer,’ which all devotees of the Divine Mercy Devotion typically say at 3PM local time every day.
Blood is symbolic or representative of Holy Communion. Valid reception of Communion ‘builds us up in Christ’ and destroys venial sin along with giving us ‘bread for the journey,’ strength to make through our lives. Likewise, Water serves as a reminder of Baptism. When we are baptized we are initiated into the Mystical Body of Christ, and along with all other Christians, we can call God our Father and Christ our Brother. (And Mary our Mother!)
The Sacred Heart Devotion is centered on Christ and that in His love for us He left behind the sacrament of His love: Holy Communion; which I referenced in the previous paragraph as being symbolized by the Blood pouring forth from His side.
Our devotion to the Sacred Heart leads us to make reparation for our sins and those of others. “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole World.” So goes the prayer Divine Mercy devotees recite on the beads of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Therefore, recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be considered to be a part of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, since it involves a petition for mercy on not just ourselves, but for others, too, who most likely are not invoking God’s Mercy on themselves.
So, that’s it for now. I’ve liked this; I may attempt more posts linking the Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy.
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