Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

= Symbolism =

The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary is an icon of the Virgin Mary with her Immaculate Heart pierced by a sword or seven swords representing the seven sorrows of Mary:
# The prophecy of Simeon.
# The flight into Egypt.
# The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple.
# The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross.
# The Crucifixion.
# The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.
# The burial of Jesus" [http://www.nd.edu/~mary/classic/sorrow.html]

History

During the 1918 Armistice, a Bernardine nun was cleaning out the cellar of the boarding school where Berthe Petit had been educated when she found a piece of cardboard with a pornographic image pasted on it. When she tore the image off the cardboard and was about to burn both, she discovered that the image had covered an image of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary combines the Eastern and Western styles of art. The facial features of Mary in this image resemble those of the Pieta.

Jesus allegedly said in a vision to Berthe Petit, on September 18, 1911, that "My Mother has earned the right to be called Sorrowful, and I wish this title to be placed before that of Immaculate because she has won it herself."

Traditionally, seven Aves (Hail Mary's) are to be said for each. Spreading this devotion is said to insure salvation.

References

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