{"id":958,"date":"2023-04-22T12:27:19","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T10:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/il-simbolismo-del-sacro-cuore-di-gesu\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:48:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T11:48:02","slug":"the-symbolism-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/the-symbolism-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"The symbolism of the Sacred Heart of Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-foo\">The heart is the vital organ of the human being and also the seat of emotions. On the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday of Pentecost, the Heart of Jesus is specifically honored, as a symbol of His humanity and His unconditional love for mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque is the nun who, in 1673, began the devotion to the Sacred Heart after mystical experiences in which she claims to have seen Jesus, who recommended a particular devotion to His heart. In her letters, she writes: &#8220;Behold this Heart that has so loved men and has spared nothing, even exhausting and consuming itself to testify to them its Love.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-91brg\">The symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is present in many churches and is one of the most well-known devotional images. What is its meaning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"720\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1280 \/ 720;\" width=\"1280\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Il_mio_video.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">palla copricalice con simbolo del sacro cuore di ges\u00f9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-62det\">The way in which Christian iconography symbolizes the Sacred Heart brings to mind the Passion of Christ: the cross, the crown of thorns, and the bleeding wound. Let\u2019s take a closer look at their meaning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cross: In the Gospels, the cross is the object to which Jesus is nailed. However, in this image, the cross seems to be &#8220;planted&#8221; into the heart, signifying that the entire reality of the crucifixion derives its meaning from the heart of Jesus and cannot be understood apart from it. It also reminds us how the cross must always be anchored in our hearts, as it elevates our gaze upwards, uniting us with the divine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-2fegi\">The Flames: At first glance, the depiction of flames might seem disconnected from the crucifixion, but they too are symbols of sacrifice. The Old Testament is filled with stories in which sacrifices are made to God with fire. One example is the famous episode of Abraham\u2019s sacrifice of Isaac. Throughout the Old Testament, God appears multiple times in the form of flames: think of the burning bush that spoke to Moses (Exodus 3) or the cloud of fire on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18). Finally, the flames are associated with Jesus&#8217; love for us. A typical exclamation is: &#8220;Sacred Heart of Jesus, who burns with love for us, set our hearts on fire with love for You.&#8221; The passage from the Gospel of the disciples of Emmaus clearly highlights how the heart &#8220;burns&#8221; in the presence of Jesus when it is flooded with His love.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"362\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/santa-margherita-sacro-cuore-di-gesu.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/santa-margherita-sacro-cuore-di-gesu.jpg 362w, https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/santa-margherita-sacro-cuore-di-gesu-120x166.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/santa-margherita-sacro-cuore-di-gesu-90x124.jpg 90w, https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/santa-margherita-sacro-cuore-di-gesu-320x442.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-ajn3d\">In the writings of St. Margaret, it is read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-1ch0r\">&#8220;From every part of that sacred Humanity, flames were emanating, but especially from His adorable chest, which resembled a burning furnace. After uncovering it, He showed me His beloved and most amiable Heart, the living source of those flames.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-5sbvu\">The rays of light: In addition to the flames, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded by a bright and penetrating light. In the New Testament, light is associated with Jesus in several passages. In John 8:12, Jesus clearly states, &#8220;I am the light of the world.&#8221; Like fire, light is also a symbol of divinity. Jesus is not only the light of the world but also the one who illuminates us, revealing God to us. Paul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus, was enveloped by a light from heaven (Acts 9:3). The Sacred Heart shows the depth of God&#8217;s love for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-4jv9\">The crown of thorns: The crown of thorns is once again a symbol we encounter at the moment of the crucifixion. It is placed on Jesus&#8217; head as a sign of mockery. Here, however, it surrounds the Sacred Heart completely, reminding us of the pain that Jesus felt on the day of the crucifixion, reaching deep into His heart. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque describes the thorns as the sins of mankind that pierce the heart of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/a27d24_b55222443ec740c0bbfe701b24665205~mv2.jpg\/v1\/fill\/w_590,h_724,al_c,q_85,enc_auto\/a27d24_b55222443ec740c0bbfe701b24665205~mv2.jpg\" alt=\"Schema di lavoro intaglio\" style=\"width:492px;height:569px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">disegno per tovaglia d&#8217;altare con simbologia del sacro cuore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-559cm\">The side wound: From the left side of the heart, a wound gushes drops of blood. In the Gospel of John, it is written: &#8220;But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out&#8221; (John 19:33-34). Once dead, the body of Jesus suffers further pain, a pain that, in one of the revelations made to Saint Margaret Mary, Jesus describes as coming from the actions of men: &#8220;I receive from most of them only ingratitude for their many irreverences, sacrileges, and for the coldness and contempt they show Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what grieves Me most is that there are even hearts consecrated to Me who treat Me this way.&#8221; This wound, from which blood flows, symbolizes the greatest sins of mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-d5v1e\">Pope Benedict XVI wrote, &#8220;The adoration of God&#8217;s Love, which has found its historical and devotional expression in the symbol of the &#8216;pierced Heart,&#8217; remains essential for a living relationship with God.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-f5k95\">On one hand, the image of the Sacred Heart and the writings of the mystics highlight the pain and disappointment of Jesus towards the men who, by sinning, wound Him. On the other hand, Jesus continues to express His boundless love for humanity. As Pope Francis wrote to celebrate the feast, &#8220;Jesus looks at us, loves us, and respects us. He is all heart and all mercy. Let us approach Jesus with confidence, for He always forgives us.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-ccbgk\">Follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paramentisacri.artericami\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Facebook <\/u><\/a>e <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/artericamiparamenti\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Instagram<\/u><\/a> and visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/liturgy-blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>blog<\/u><\/a> to read more articles on liturgy and the history of vestments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-7t00h\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/contacts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Contact us <\/u><\/a>to find out about our dealers of handmade sacred vestments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The heart is the vital organ of the human being and also the seat of emotions. On the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is celebrated on the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-liturgy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1096,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/1096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artericamiliturgico.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}