This year, the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as that of St. Anthony, fall on the same day, Saturday, June 13. St. Anthony, a popular saint for many reasons, is also a Doctor of the Church and taught in a very concrete manner, both in word and example, the centrality of the love of God revealed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He also thought on the centrality of the life of Mary, as an example of how to live as a follower of Christ.
St. Francis de Sales, another Doctor of the Church, like St. Anthony taught by word and example of the importance of the love of God for each and every one of us as expressed through the Heart of Jesus. He did much to cultivate devotion to the Sacred Heart as expressed in his words, “If we touch His heart, we will find it completely inflamed and burning with incomparable love toward us.” He spoke often, in his words, of how “The heart speaks to the heart.” St. John Cardinal Newman took this phrase for his episcopal motto. These words are particularly significant regarding the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Truly, the Heart of Jesus speaks to that of Mary, and the heart of Mary speaks to that of Jesus. It was from Mary’s human heart that the human heart of the Lord literally came into existence. Thus, the Heart of Jesus is from the heart of Mary. When the Son of God was conceived in Mary, we can truly say that the Heart of God took flesh in Mary. Thus, the heart of God is intimately bound to the heart of Mary.
There is a beautiful medieval sculpture of Mary serenely sitting with great grace and peace. Like many of the medieval depictions and statues of Mary, one is immediately drawn to it in a spiritual gaze. However, this particular sculpture opens up so that one is able to see what is inside of Mary. It is as if one is looking into the heart of Mary. Within the sculpture is a carving of the Trinity. The Trinity is fashioned depicting the Father holding His Son on the cross offered to the world as His greatest gift of love. Between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove. This particular depiction of the Trinity expresses, in an almost mystical manner, the infinite love of God giving Himself to us in the very depth of His being. It is an image of what the Sacred Heart of Jesus is all about. How appropriate that, in this particular sculpture, Mary holds the heart of the Trinity within hers. Indeed, the Heart of Jesus speaking to the heart of Mary and the heart of Mary speaking to the Heart of Jesus is well summed up in this regard.
Christ’s Sacred Heart is one of infinite love. The Father’s love is expressed in a most human fashion in the Heart of Jesus, especially as it is pierced on the cross for us. Mary’s heart is one that has experienced the infinite love of God as has no other. Chosen to be the bearer of the heart of Christ, Mary embodies the call that God makes to each one of us to enter into a deep relationship of love with Him.
Mary’s heart was an open heart. It was always open to the word of God, both as it was spoken to her and as the Word of God became flesh in her. As Christ’s Heart spoke to hers as to no other, her heart spoke to Christ’s like it spoke to no other. The depths of their being were so united that words did not even have to be expressed between them. To experience the heart of Mary is to experience the living out of the Gospel message. To experience the Heart of Christ is to experience the love which Mary felt in her heart as her Son gave His life for all of us. This is precisely why she becomes the mother of all on the cross when Christ’s heart is pierced and she stands beneath it. Here, Christ gives us His heart as well as that of His mother.
In reflecting on his personal devotion to Mary, St. John Paul II expressed that he began in his very early years to realize that Mary leads us to Christ but, at the same time, Christ leads us to His mother. His further reflection enabled Him to realize that Mary brings us closer to Christ and leads us to Him, provided that we live her ministry in Christ. It is in this that both lead to each other in the deepest sense. In this context of St. John Paul II’s reflection, how more meaningful the words, “the heart speaks to the heart,” when referring to the hearts of Jesus and Mary. The heart of Mary leads us to the Heart of Jesus, while at the same time the Heart of Jesus leads us to that of His mother.
During this month of June, we look to the Heart of Christ to experience the depth of God’s love for each and every one of us. No heart experienced the reality of that love as much as that of Mary. We also look to the heart of Mary to experience the Heart of Christ. In this we are moved to live as Mary did by always being open to the Heart of Christ in listening to His word.
As the medieval sculpture of Mary is opened and the Heart of God, that of Christ, is revealed, it would be appropriate to imagine opening a sculpture of Christ to reveal the heart of Mary enflamed with His love. Indeed, “the heart speaks to the heart,” and no two speak more clearly to ours than that of Jesus and Mary. St. Anthony of Padua was so influential in living this message. As we celebrate his feast on the same day as the Immaculate Heart of Mary, may we be touched by it in our hearts.
