Week Beginning February 25, 2024
Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph demonstrates his exceptional piety and virtue through his unwavering faith, pure love, and humble service. Saint Francis de Sales explains: “Although it is true that Mary possessed every virtue in a higher degree than is attainable by any other pure creature, yet it is quite certain that the glorious Saint Joseph was the being that approached most nearly to that perfection.” His vocation is both the reason for and the cause of his sanctity, as described by Saint John Henry Newman: “He is Holy Joseph, because according to the opinion of a great number of doctors, he, as well as St. John Baptist, was sanctified even before he was born. He is Holy Joseph, because his office, of being spouse and protector of Mary, specially demanded sanctity. He is Holy Joseph, because no other Saint but he lived in such and so long intimacy and familiarity with the source of all holiness, Jesus, God incarnate, and Mary, the holiest of creatures.”
His strength of character emanates from his Chaste Heart, which is joined to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through matrimony and connected to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through guardianship. Saint Peter Julian Eymard states that “Devotion to Saint Joseph is one of the choicest graces that God can give to a soul, for it is tantamount to revealing the entire treasury of our Lord’s graces. When God wishes to raise a soul to greater heights, he unites it to Saint Joseph by giving it a strong love for the good saint.”
Devotion specific to the heart of Saint Joseph becomes popular during the seventeenth century when it is referenced in writings of religious leaders and included in works of art. Throughout the centuries, the devotion continues to grow in favor with the faithful and gains pastoral approval for local celebrations. The apparitions in the late twentieth century to Edson Glauber and his mother–now approved by the Church–help to shape our modern understanding of devotion to the Chaste Heart.
The English word “chaste” comes from the Latin castus which translates to “clean” and “pure.” The Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph is indeed pure in its single focus to adore, honor, and glorify God. That divine orientation animates Saint Joseph, giving him the grace to love selflessly without trying to control others for his own benefit. Pope Francis reflects upon the “most chaste” title awarded to Saint Joseph: “That title is not simply a sign of affection, but the summation of an attitude that is the opposite of possessiveness. Chastity is freedom from possessiveness in every sphere of one’s life. Only when love is chaste, is it truly love. A possessive love ultimately becomes dangerous: it imprisons, constricts and makes for misery. God himself loved humanity with a chaste love; he left us free even to go astray and set ourselves against him. The logic of love is always the logic of freedom, and Joseph knew how to love with extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the center of things. He did not think of himself, but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus.”
When we honor the heart of Saint Joseph, he shows us the way to truly love Mary and Jesus. In an apparition to the Brazilian student Edson Glauber, Saint Joseph divulges: “Our three Hearts loved one another. We lived a trinitarian love, but it was a love united in the act of offering to the Eternal Father. Our Hearts melted into the purest love as though becoming one heart living in three persons.”
The image of the Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph is wrapped with a sash of lilies to depict his purity as the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ. It is set aflame with the love of God, illuminating the Church and the whole world. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus observes that “The Lord has arrayed Joseph, like with a sun, in all which the saints possess together in regard to light and splendor.”
As our spiritual protector, Saint Joseph preserves us from a life of impurity and the deadly consequences that ensue. In a 1998 vision by Edson Glauber, Saint Joseph reveals: “The enemy of salvation wants to destroy all men so that, this way, all will be lost. He is envious and hates the entire human race. So many go through trials and temptations that the enemy of God throws at every moment, this way trying to destroy men’s mortal souls that were created by God. The means that he most utilizes are the sins against holy purity, because purity is one of the virtues most beloved by God, and in this way Satan desires to destroy the image of God present in each creature through this virtue. And it is because of this, that God asks all humanity to have devotion to my Chaste Heart. He wants to give men the grace to overcome the temptations and attacks of the devil in their day-to-day lives.”
In addition to enlightening us against the spiritual darkness of personal sin, devotion to the Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph casts away darkness that plagues families, the Church, and society through amendment, repentance, and contrition of sins. The devotion is associated with many promises including protection from evil and danger, grace to live in holy purity of body and soul, grace to resolve urgent difficulties, and assistance to obtain salvation for devotees and their families. For those who venerate the Chaste Heart and offer good deeds for the needy, sick, and dying, Saint Joseph pledges a peaceful death resting in the hearts of the Holy Family. At the time of death, he intercedes to obtain divine mercy over divine judgement. Saint Alphonsus Liguori emphasizes the value of this promise: “Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to Saint Joseph that he may obtain for us a happy death.”
Devotion to the Chaste Heart reminds us of the great role Saint Joseph plays in salvation history and continues to play through his powerful intercession and patronage. Pope Saint John Paul II summarizes: “Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, that is, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model.” Saint Joseph is formally honored in the Church on March 19 as the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on May 1 as the Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker.
Noting that the holy Church is an extension of the Body of Christ, Pope Blessed Pius IX declares Saint Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church in 1870. In 1889, Pope Leo XIII issues an Encyclical on Devotion to Saint Joseph in which he supports consecrating the month of March to Saint Joseph. To mark the golden jubilee of his patronage, Pope Benedict XV issues a motu proprio seeking veneration of the Holy Patriarch in every diocese, especially on all Wednesdays and during the entire month of March. On its sesquicentennial, Pope Francis proclaims the Year of Saint Joseph beginning on December 8, 2020.
Devotion focusing on the Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph remains private and encompasses many forms which include: dedicating First Wednesdays to the Chaste Heart, praying the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph, praying the Saint Joseph rosary or chaplet, wearing the Saint Joseph scapular or cincture, praying the litany of Saint Joseph or any of the prayers devoted to him, venerating the image of the Chaste Heart, celebrating the feast of the Chaste Heart on the Wednesday after the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and spreading the devotion to the Chaste Heart. According to the apparitions, Saint Joseph also recommends simply reciting one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be on his behalf.
Imitating the Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph is the antidote to the spiritual ills we suffer today. Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat advises: “Let us love Jesus above all, let us love Mary as our mother; but then, how could we keep from loving Joseph, who was so intimately united to both Jesus and Mary? And how can we honor him better than by imitating his virtues? Now, what else did he do in all his life but contemplate, study, and adore Jesus, even in the midst of his daily labors? Behold, therefore, our model.”
Our challenge this week comes from Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who encourages us to follow tradition and “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you” (Genesis 41:55):
“Go, then to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you;
Go to Joseph, and obey him as Jesus and Mary obeyed him;
Go to Joseph, and speak to him as they spoke to him;
Go to Joseph, and consult him as they consulted him;
Go to Joseph, and honor him as they honored him;
Go to Joseph, and be grateful to him as they were grateful to him;
Go to Joseph, and love him, as they love him still.”
Week Beginning February 18, 2024
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, leads a perfectly sinless life. Without hesitation or regard for the personal cost, she completely and unconditionally remains faithful to the will of God. By delivering Jesus to mankind, she cooperates with God’s redemptive plan. In her womb, her blood is his blood, and their hearts beat together in unison. Saint Luke teaches us that in her heart, Mary keeps all the things she experiences as the mother of Jesus (Luke 2:1-52). We enter into her pure and sacrificial love when we come to know Jesus through Mary.
Jesus opens his Sacred Heart to humanity in love and mercy, teaching us how to transform our earthly lives so that we may follow him to his heavenly Father. Similarly, Our Lady opens her Immaculate Heart to us so that we may be led to her Son as we revere her and contemplate everything she holds in her heart. Saint Robert Bellarmine explains, “When we appeal to the throne of grace we do so through Mary, honoring God by honoring His Mother, imitating Him by exalting her, touching the most responsive chord in the sacred heart of Christ with the sweet name of Mary.”
The image of the Immaculate Heart contains insight into both the suffering and the joy of Mary. A sword pierces the top of her heart to illustrate the prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:35) and represent her Seven Sorrows. The roses that encircle her heart depict love and beauty, with white roses emphasizing her purity and red roses signifying her deep affection for Jesus. The Immaculate Heart burns with the flames of her virginal love for God and her maternal love for Jesus. It is also on fire with her motherly love for the world. Church Fathers agree that Mary becomes Our Blessed Mother when Jesus tells Saint John to “behold, your mother” at the foot of the cross (John 19:27). Saint Louis de Montfort observes: “If you put all the love of the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.” Her heart radiates with the heat of her warm and tender charity.
Saint John Eudes, the apostle of the liturgical devotion to the hearts of Jesus and Mary, elaborates: “When we honor the Holy Heart of the Mother of God, we honor the Heart that, of all hearts, after the Heart of her Son, is the most worthy of our admiration, the most perfect, the most beloved of God, the most adorned with every kind of virtue, the most full of grace and love; the Heart that has the most tenderness for poor sinners, that is the meekest, the most compassionate, the most merciful, the most charitable, the most beneficent, the most amiable; in a word, the object that after the Heart of Jesus has the greatest charm for Heaven and earth.”
Although private devotion to Mary traces back to apostolic times and continues throughout the lives of many great saints, pious meditations to the actual Heart of Mary become evident at the start of the second millennium. As popularity spreads, the first local feast to honor the Heart of Mary takes place in the seventeenth century. In 1799 Pope Pius VI grants the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some churches in Italy. In 1805, Pope Servant of God Pius VII extends the feast throughout the world.
The 1830 visions of Saint Catherine Labouré disclose the immaculate nature of Mary’s soul and prompt the design of the Miraculous Medal. In 1854, Pope Blessed Pius IX solemnly proclaims the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The following year, the Congregation of Rites approves the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without imposing them upon the Universal Church. Beginning in 1892, plenary indulgences are granted in conjunction with Saturday Marian devotions. By 1912, the indulgences become associated with devotions on First Saturdays and include making reparations for the sins of humanity, which hurt Mary by inflicting pain upon her Son.
Beginning in 1917, Our Lady appears to the children at Fatima where she simplifies and strengthens the devotion. In the following years, revelations to both Venerable Sister Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos and Blessed Alexandrina of Balazar help to clarify and promote her cause. In 1942, Pope Venerable Pius XII consecrates the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Shortly thereafter, he institutes the universal feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be celebrated annually on August 22. To enhance the association of the two celebrations, Pope Saint Paul VI moves the memorial in 1969 to the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of August to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, both public and private devotions with varying degrees of participation are practiced by the faithful. In recent decades, popes continue to renew the consecration of the world and the Church to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Numerous dioceses and many countries including the United States are also consecrated to the Immaculate Heart. The unblemished purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary makes her a powerful force in the promotion of peace, the victory over evil, and the salvation of souls.
This week, reflect upon how Mary’s traits preserve her immaculate heart. Pick one of her charms described by Saint John Eudes, and try to emulate that behavior. At the end of the week, consider how that habit helps to purify your heart with regard to obeying the will of God. Consider this advice from Pope Saint John Paul II: “Learn from her to be always faithful, to trust that God’s word to you will be fulfilled, and that nothing is impossible with God. Turn to Mary frequently in your prayer: for never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help or sought her intercession was left unaided.”
Week Beginning February 11, 2024
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque describes the Sacred Heart of Jesus as: “an ocean full of all good things, wherein poor souls can cast all their needs; it is an ocean full of joy to drown all our sadness, an ocean of humility to drown our folly, an ocean of mercy to those in distress, an ocean of love in which to submerge our poverty.” Saint John Eudes reveals: “The most loving heart of our benign Savior is a burning furnace of most pure love for us; a furnace of purifying love, of illuminating love, of sanctifying love, of transforming love and of deifying love.” Saint John Henry Newman refers to it as “the instrument and organ of Thy love.” He adds, “It did beat for us. It yearned over us. It ached for us, and for our salvation. It was on fire through zeal, that the glory of God might be manifested in and by us. It is the channel through which has come to us all Thy overflowing human affection, all Thy Divine Charity towards us.”
According to the apparitions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, many favors result from devotion to the Sacred Heart. She claims: “As to persons living in the world, they shall find in this devotion all the aids necessary in their state of life: peace in their homes, consolation in their work, the blessing of heaven upon all their enterprises, comfort in their sorrows, a secure refuge during life and especially at the hours of death. It is plainly evident that there is no one in the world who will not receive all kinds of heavenly blessings if they have a true love of Jesus Christ manifested by a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Venerable Pope Pius XII states: “It is altogether impossible to enumerate the heavenly gifts which devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has poured out on the souls of the faithful, purifying them, offering them heavenly strength, rousing them to the attainment of all virtues.”
Not surprisingly, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most popular and enduring tributes to our Lord. Although early Church fathers reference the love of God with regard to the holy wounds of Christ, the actual heart of Jesus becomes distinguished from the pierced side of Christ during the eleventh century. Enlightenment and visions from numerous saints throughout the centuries pave the way for our modern dedications, which are based largely on the mystical reports by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
In 1353, Pope Innocent VI institutes a mass to honor the mystery of the Sacred Heart. Private devotions gain acclaim within religious orders, and the month of June becomes associated with the custom. In 1765, the devotion is formally approved by Pope Clement XIII. Later that century, Pope Pius VI grants indulgences to those who exercise it. In 1856, Pope Blessed Pius IX establishes the Feast of the Sacred Heart, celebrated by the Church on the Friday after the Corpus Christi Octave. Pope Leo XIII, inspired in part by Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart, promotes additional hallowed practices and consecrates the entire human race to the Sacred Heart in 1899. Pope Saint Pius X later decrees this consecration to be renewed annually. In 1928, Pope Pius XI exhorts the faithful to turn to the Sacred Heart in atonement and offer reparations through prayer and penance for the many sins of the world. On the centennial of the feast in 1956, Pope Venerable Pius XII promulgates an encyclical to reinforce the biblical context and accentuate the spiritual significance of this devotion. During the Second Vatican Council, the feast is raised to a solemnity and the entire month of June is officially dedicated to the Sacred Heart. In 1965, Pope Saint Paul VI calls for a renewal to this devotion. Beginning in 1995, Pope Saint John Paul II institutes World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests to be celebrated in conjunction with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. On the golden jubilee of the 1956 encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI publicly reaffirms this important devotion.
Popes and saints historically persuade the faithful to revere and adore the Sacred Heart in gratitude for the unfathomable love showered upon us. Several observances are recommended, including attendance at Holy Hours on Thursdays, Eucharistic reception on First Fridays, enthronement of the blessed image in the home, and wearing the Scapular of the Sacred Heart. Levels of participation range from personal recitation of prayers and litanies to total consecration to Jesus.
Pope Leo XIII remarks: “There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return.” The Sacred Heart is crowned with thorns, representing the harm caused by our sins. It is surmounted with a cross, depicting the sorrows inflicted upon Christ during his life and Passion. Despite his suffering on our behalf, his heart remains aflame with boundless love for humanity. The wound pierced into his side, resulting from his redemptive sacrifice for mankind, actually opens the door that leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Pope Pius XI elaborates: “He showed His Heart to us bearing about it the symbols of the passion and displaying the flames of love, that from the one we might know the infinite malice of sin, and in the other we might admire the infinite charity of Our Redeemer, and so might have a more vehement hatred of sin, and make a more ardent return of love for His love.” Pope Francis attests that “The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy; but it is not an imaginary symbol, it is a real symbol, which represents the center, the source from which salvation for all humanity gushed forth.”
Pope Pius XI recounts that “Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart is the extraordinary remedy for the extraordinary needs of our time.” Pope Saint John Paul II explains: “In the Sacred Heart, every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden. The Heart of the Lord Jesus is the starting-point of the holiness of each one of us. From the Heart of the Lord Jesus let us learn the love of God and understanding of the mystery of sin. Let us make acts of reparation to the Divine Heart for the sins committed by us and by our fellow men. Let us make reparation for rejecting God’s goodness and love. Let us draw close each day to this fount from which flow springs of living water.”
Jesus continues to give his Sacred Heart to us every day. Saint John Henry Newman comments: “O most Sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still.” The Venerable Fulton Sheen declares that “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host.”
On occasion, God allows Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday to be celebrated on the same day. As you begin your Lenten preparations this week, reflect on how–by overlapping these holidays–God issues a beautiful reminder about the importance of loving like Jesus loves.
At the center of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is his sacrificial love for mankind. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Jesus gives of himself freely, completely, and purely for our benefit. His love teaches us how to will the good of others solely for their sake with compassion, patience, and forgiveness.
Similarly, at the center of the word “valentine” is the word “lent.” As we enter into this season of sacrifice, let us never forget the selfless charity offered to us with every beat of our Lord’s Sacred Heart. Let us joyfully present our penances with sincere thanks as we spend the next forty days learning how to love the way God intends us to love.
Best wishes for a happy Valentine’s Day and a blessed Lent!
Week Beginning February 4, 2024
Divine Heart of God the Father
If you visit the “Our Daily Bread” section of this website regularly, you know that the Church offers numerous celebrations for Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother, the angels, the saints, the martyrs, and various other events and dedications. Do you notice there is no official feast day to exclusively commemorate God the Father?
According to the Apostolate of the Divine Heart, the Devotion to the Divine Heart of God the Father is granted to humanity by the Father in the late twentieth century to encompass all hearts with infinite love. The Divine Heart of God has unlimited and eternal charity for His children. This devotion seeks ecumenical solidarity within the Church, peace on earth, and the reign of joy, happiness, and love in the world.
Because God is the Creator, the core of His heart radiates all light, life, and love. Within this core, the Divine Paternal Heart is united in oneness to the Sacred Heart of the Son and bound by the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary–who is Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Spirit–is also perfectly fused to this Divine Heart. By freely and habitually conforming to God’s will, we are enabled to intimately enter union with the hearts of the entire Divine Family through the Divine Heart of God.
Unlike typical devotions that help us grow closer to God through a holy intercessor, this private devotion proposes direct consecration to the Divine Paternal Heart. The Divine Heart embraces the hearts of those who know Him, those who need to know Him more, and those who do not know Him at all. He loves us universally and bonds with us completely. In such a way, this devotion also places us in communion and harmony with each other.
This week, consider how we are all related as creations made by God, cradled within His overarching fatherly love for all of mankind. Reflect on how our similarities and this shared heritage can prevail over our differences. How can God’s loving mercy help us heal the wounds we inflict upon one another? Inspired by the core of the Divine Heart, how can you position your heart to touch the hearts of others?
“Those who carry God in their hearts bear Heaven with them wherever they go.”
~ Saint Ignatius of Loyola
