The Two Hearts United

Copyright 2019 Dino Carbetta. Used with permission. All rights reserved.[/caption] Jesus and Mary are forever joined. Joined in joy, joined in sorrow, and joined in a passionate love for the salvation of all humanity. From before all time, God had chosen Mary to be the perfect vessel for his Son. This vessel had to be perfect, it had to be immaculate. Mary's conception had to be immaculate for the reason that she had to a perfect and sin-free zone for Jesus to be formed and raised. This is why we have the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, and this is why Our Lady came to ask that a medal be struck and a chapel built in honor of this title. The Miraculous Medal, as it has come to be known, is worn around the world and has many special graces attached to it. The medal has their two hearts side by side: one heart with the crown of thorns and the flame atop, which is Jesus’s heart, and Mary's heart with a sword piercing it and a crown of roses. Her heart is pierced for all the suffering she endured for the sake of her life of loving Jesus and His children.

O Heart of Jesus pierced for our sins and giving us your Mother on Calvary! O Heart of Mary pierced by sorrow and sharing in the sufferings of your divine Son for our redemption! O sacred union of these Two Hearts! Praised be the God of Love who united them together! (Novena Prayer to the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary)

If you would like to learn more about the Miraculous Medal, please be sure to read Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s book, The Miraculous Medal: Stories, Prayers, and Devotions (Servant Books). On page 37 you will learn more about the meaning of the inscriptions on the miraculous medal. On the backside is the cross entwined with the letter M and the two hearts. This signifies the relationship Of Mary being at the foot of the cross. Saint Catherine Laboure said that no words were needed and that just the two hearts would be enough. “The M and the two hearts express enough,” she said. My friend Dino created this image and pictures within this article. He was inspired by the two hearts without even knowing about the Miraculous Medal hearts. He reminded me of this when speaking about this art piece.

Copyright 2019 Dino Carbetta. Used with permission. All rights reserved.[/caption] In his celebrated Angelus address of 15 September 1985, Pope John Paul II spoke of "the definitive alliance" of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary which was sealed on Calvary. He explained that when the side of Christ was pierced with the centurion's lance, Simeon's prophecy was fulfilled in her: "And a sword will pierce through your own soul, also" (Luke 2:35). Then he prayed: "May our prayer of the Angelus unite us today with that admirable alliance of hearts."

Copyright 2019 Dino Carbetta. Used with permission. All rights reserved.[/caption] In his letter of 8 September 1986 to Cardinal Jaime L. Sin of Manila, President of the International Symposium on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Pope John Paul II wrote:

We can say that just as the mystery of Redemption began in the womb of the Virgin of Nazareth, so did that splendid union of the hearts of Christ and his Mother. From the very moment when the Word was made flesh beneath the heart of Mary, there has existed, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, an enduring relationship of love between them. The heart of the Mother has always followed the redemptive mission of her Son. As Jesus hung on the Cross in completion of his salvific work, Simeon's prophecy foretelling the definitive alliance of the hearts of the Son and of the Mother was fulfilled ... Indeed the centurion's lance that pierced the side of Christ also penetrated the heart of his sorrowful Mother and sealed it in sacrificial love."

Since the hearts of Jesus and Mary are joined forever in love, we know that to be loved by the Son is also to be loved by his Mother.

Copyright 2019 Dino Carbetta. Used with permission. All rights reserved.[/caption] Another way in which the Pope has spoken about this alliance or "covenant" between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is to call it a "union." Dino had this to say, “The Church intimately and mystically leads us to the Heart of Mary, and her covenant with her Son. Her presence at the crucifixion completes this union. Mothers live in and through their children, as Mary lived in Christ. This image was conceived before Mother’s Day to share in the union with my own Mother, thus all Mothers and children."

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)