Sacred Heart

'Heart of Jesus' by Anton Inglott

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus gained much popularity after the visions that St Margaret Mary Alacoque had from Jesus around the year 1675. The church initially had doubts about the authenticity of the visions, but approved them almost 100 years later. The feast was first celebrated in France only but was extended to the universal church in 1856 by Pope Pius IX. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by a lance, surrounded by a crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross, and bleeding. The image represented here above shows a different perspective as envisioned by Maltese artist Anton Inglott. It shows Jesus’ heart aglow with love for all his people, including all of us. If we can only comprehend the sacrifices He made for us, and in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings, He loves us unconditionally, even when we tend to take Him for granted. May our love for Him be just as powerful and intimate. May we appreciate His endless support and care towards our well-being, represented also in the way the church, priests, sisters and other people show their affection towards everything that is Roman Catholic.