http://www.mariancatechist.co/...ulateheart.heart.htm

"Mary in her inexhaustible love for all men and woman draws us to Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it is only through her Immaculate Heart that we come to know the Sacred Heart of Jesus, formed under her Immaculate Heart.

No heart has ever loved our Lord as did the Heart of Mary. Therefore in our desire to love
Christ more, we rightly want to unite our heart to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as her Immaculate Heart is perfectly united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In fact, the Enthronment of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are always through the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

That's all theologically sound, Sue, and I know that for some Catholics, this approach informs their devotional practice, too. My mother was very much into this, but it never translated that well for me as emphasis on these "hearts" seemed a bit "anatomical" to me, even though I understood it was meant to be symbolic.

Does this appeal to you, Sue? Others?

quote:

Does this appeal to you, Sue? Others?

Speaking for myself Phil, I only began to grasp somewhat the Cult of the Sacred Heart after visiting Paray-le-Monial many times in France.

Paray-le-Monial where the (public)Cult began with the late 17th century vision of His Heart, blazing like the sun.

This place for me is the most powerful place I have ever found on this planet.

I had been to numerous sites of importance to New Age, Anthroposophical centers in Europe and America ... one special native American site as well, but nothing ever anywhere even came close to this.

In great suffering I felt held, cleansed, bathed in His Love there. On repeated visits. After I would leave and immediately begin falling apart.

But while I was there, the energies, the presence was so palpable, so strong ... well to cut a long story short, my life has been changed forever ...

And it was only after perhaps 20 visits that I realised in his penultimate paragraphs of Lazarus Come Forth, that Valentin Tomberg understood the Mystery of Paray-le-Monial very deeply.

He does not name the place specifically but what he says as to date allows no other interpretation than Paray:



“There have been (and still are) times in Europe and elsewhere during which for whole nations the life of the soul as such has been (and still is) in grave danger, having been smothered and reduced to a minimum.

This holds not only with respect to the tidal wave of materialism that has flooded across the world in this century, but also for the outpouring of “intellectual enlightenment” during the age of rationalism in the eighteenth century which paved the way for materialism.

At that time the danger facing the human soul was so great that, in order to avert it, a special intervention from heaven proved necessary as a preventive measure.

This took place during the second half of the seventeenth century. It was then that the revelation of the most sacred heart of Jesus occurred.

This led to the cult of devotion to the most sacred heart of Jesus which spread rapidly in Catholic countries and took root there.

Devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus was to save the soul of humanity.

For, with the intellectual enlightenment the danger threatening to break in upon human beings was that of the centaur.

Human beings would have been turned into a kind of centaur — a being consisting of head and limbs (intellect and will), but without heart — that is, a “clever beast”.

Devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus had the task of rekindling the heart. Thereby the light, warmth, and life, streaming from the heart of Jesus, was to counteract the will-to-power and the intellect serving this will.”

(added white space to the above for easier reading/contemplation from a screen).

I think the author also saw the ongoing danger of the centaur, intensified will, intensified thinking (of a degraded kind) and no heart … the danger so evident in the modern brutal materialist world arising all around us.

If any are interested, much more at my site along these lines under tags like Sacred Heart, Catholic France and Valentin Tomberg.

As to the Immaculate Heart you also invoked Mary Sue, I am only beginning to appreciate the Mysteries here, but with Grace I am at least beginning ...

quote:

Originally posted by Roger Buck:
This holds not only with respect to the tidal wave of materialism that has flooded across the world in this century, but also for the outpouring of “intellectual enlightenment” during the age of rationalism in the eighteenth century which paved the way for materialism.

By coincidence, I was just reading about this earlier today on a blog I follow. It refers to an article in this week's Newsweek.

Short version for those of you who don't want to read the whole thing: In 2006 a group of Harvard professors wanted to make a course on religion compulsory. This proposal was voted down. The opposition view was that "human progress is an evolution away from superstition, witchcraft, and idol worship--that is, religion."

In other words, rationalism must win the day. Yet to me, rationalism is in itself a religion, and its goal is clearly to obliterate all other religions.

Wow, Derek, those profs are really stuck in the 19th C. If quantum physics and postmodern philosophy haven't softened up that kind of hard-core rationalism, I don't know what can. That's just rank bias.

- - -

Thanks for your sharing, Roger, and for the quote by Tomberg, whose reflections are very good, as usual. I haven't been to Paray-le-Monial but it sounds like a place of deep blessing and healing, from what you describe.

Sometimes when I'm sad, grieving, gloomy, etc., I ask Christ to hold my heart in His, and I immediately feel a sense of lightness and support. I recommend the practice.

Appreciating both your responses Derek, Phil. Regarding:

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
Wow, Derek, those profs are really stuck in the 19th C. If quantum physics and postmodern philosophy haven't softened up that kind of hard-core rationalism, I don't know what can. That's just rank bias.

- - -

I am very aware of the idea that such attitudes peaked in the 19th century. And their justification, that a softening is happening through the factors you mention and others.

Immersed in the more intelligent end of the New Age spectrum, people like Fritjof Capra, Alice Bailey etc etc, I once assumed completely we were transcending such 19th century stuckness ...

I came to see my optimism, sadly, as little more than a prevalent New Age "thoughtform".

Many things served to change me. Three years in a 21st century university dept of religion - just dead rationalism there.

Steiner´s very grave warnings that materialism would grow and grow and grow without radical effort ... no Age of Aquarius is just going to magically end all this according to Steiner.

And finally Tomberg whose writings are all about this cultural degeneration and turning his back on Steiner´s Anthroposophy as solution and turning to the Church.

As to your question Phil as to what can soften this rationalist materialism ...

This is a very, very, very profound, very, very very burning question I believe. But my own very inadequate answers have much to do with the Sacraments and of course, the Cor Jesu Sacratissimum ...

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
That's all theologically sound, Sue, and I know that for some Catholics, this approach informs their devotional practice, too. My mother was very much into this, but it never translated that well for me as emphasis on these "hearts" seemed a bit "anatomical" to me, even though I understood it was meant to be symbolic.

Does this appeal to you, Sue? Others?

Sorry for the delay in responding. It's slow
moving from the East. Yes Phil, this is appealling to me. The alliance of the Hearts of Jesus & Mary. More inclined towards the Heart of Jesus as the source of God's love and charity & the Heart of Mary as flowing with compassion.

Phil, group, when one knows the suffering of others within their own body, emotions & thoughts, is this a form of intercessory prayer??? Or referred to as something else.

Sounds like a deep empathy you're describing, and it could well be an invitation to pray for them.

Wondering why this is considered a cult?

Wow, this is a really old discussion, one that I'd forgotten about.

There are numerous meanings to the word, cult; it's not all bad.
- see https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
Sounds like a deep empathy you're describing, and it could well be an invitation to pray for them.

I have found out that this is called the gifts of an empath.

Also thank you for the information about the word cult. For me this word has such a
negative connection that i will not be using it in this regards.