Nobody Comes to Me but Through Mary(2023-05-14)

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Introduction

On May 08th, the Church celebrates three Titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary Mother of all the Saints and of Fair Love, Mary Mediatrix of all graces, and Mary Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These three Titles are related. I would like to show it to you by explaining a bit the Title “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”.

History and image

The Title of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was inaugurated in 1857 by Fr Jules Chevalier. Fr Chevalier is the founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, at Issoudun in France. This congregation is especially famous for evangelizing heroically Papuasia New guinea, at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

Let me describe a bit the image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Child Jesus is in Mary’s arms. Jesus, looking at us, shows his Sacred Heart with his left hand and shows Mary with his right hand. Mary holds Jesus on her left arm and touches Jesus’ heart with her right hand. There is like a movement from Jesus’ heart to Mary, and from Mary back to the Sacred Heart.

Let us see now what is meant by the Title “Our Lady of the Sacred Heart”.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart refers to Divine Motherhood

First, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart refers to Divine Motherhood. In the image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Jesus is like saying: “Behold my Sacred Heart which has been formed by Mary.” How has it been formed by Mary? By her full consent to become the Mother of the Saviour, on Annunciation Day. God planned the Incarnation of God the Son. But He made the realisation of His plan depend on Mary’s consent. So, strictly speaking, if Mary had refused to be the Mother of the Saviour, the Incarnation would have not happened. By her free and full consent, Mary became the mother of Jesus. She formed His human body and his Sacred Heart. Since the human heart of Jesus is the symbol of Divine Love, then Mary merits the Title of Mother of Fair Love. The Church applies these words of the Ecclesiasticus to the Blessed Virgin Mary: “I am the mother of fair love” (Eccli 24;24).

 

The Old Testament has been an announcement and a preparation of the New Testament. The Blessed Virgin Mary was announced in figure by some women of the Old Testament. Among them, there is Rebecca. Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to find a suitable wife for his son Isaac. Eliezer reached his destination and waited near a well for the woman whom God had chosen for Isaac. The Bible says (Gen 24;16): “An exceedingly comely maid and a most beautiful virgin and not known to man” came down to the well. Her name was Rebecca. She accepted the proposal to become Isaac’s wife and became later on the mother of Israel. Abraham who sent Eliezer is a figure of God the Father. Eliezer is a figure of the Archangel Gabriel sent by God. Rebecca is a figure of Mary Immaculate and full of grace. Israel is a figure of Jesus Christ. As Rebecca accepted the proposal brought by Eliezer and became the mother of Israel, so Mary accepted the proposal brought by the Archangel Gabriel and became the Mother of Jesus Christ.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart refers to Mary Mediatrix of all graces

Secondly, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart refers to Mary Mediatrix of all graces. In the image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Jesus shows in the same time His Heart and Mary. He is like telling us: “My Sacred Heart and all its riches belong to Mary”. Why is it so? By accepting to become the Mother of the Redeemer, Mary has accepted to be associated with Him in His work of Redemption. Mary was associated with Jesus in the work of spiritual regeneration of mankind as Eve was associated with Adam in the work of natural generation of mankind.

Because of this association, Jesus has entrusted to Mary all the graces which He merited by His Passion. And so now, each grace which we receive, we receive it through Mary. We are spiritually regenerated through Mary. Expressing this reality, Jesus on the Cross told all of us: “Behold thy mother” (Jn 19;27). Nobody goes to Heaven but being spiritually regenerated by Our Lady. And so, because Our Lady of the Sacred Heart refers to Mary Mediatrix of all graces, it refers also to Our Lady Mother of all the Saints.

Let us consider again Rebecca in the Old Testament. She met Eliezer at a well. She fetched water to drink not only for Eliezer but also for all his camels. In the Bible, water is a figure of grace. Remember the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman: “The water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting”. The well, source of water, is a figure of Jesus the source of all graces. Remember that on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church applies to the Sacred Heart these words of Isaias: “Thou shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour’s fountains” (Is 12;3). Rebecca fetching water from the well and giving water to Eliezer and all his camels is a figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary fetching all graces from the Sacred Heart of Jesus and distributing them to everybody.

 

Conclusion:

You see how these Titles Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is the Mother of Fair Love, the Mediatrix of all graces and the Mother of all the Saints, are all connected. When you have the occasion, have a look at the image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It is easy to find it on internet. On that image Jesus tells us: “If you want to know my Sacred Heart, ask Mary. She is the one who will teach you. Nobody comes to me but through Her. If you want to receive anything from my Sacred Heart, ask Mary. She is the Treasurer of all my graces. Nobody receives anything from Me but through Her”.

Fr. Etienne Demornex