Devotion to The Sacred Heart of Jesus Chirst?

EGgaurdian86

I have been assigned the task of researching the catholic belief of "Devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus Christ", now all i was able to come up with were a few catholic web sites that completely confuse me and explain absolutely nothing.

I would like to know thr following (With as many citations from the Bible that support the Coptic disbelief in this matter)

- What is it ?
- Why Cathlics believe it?
- Why Coptics disbelieve it?
- Why Catholic pictures of Christ depict him holding the sacred heart?
- Why is the sacred heart also held by St. Mary?

All Help is Appreciated

GOD BLESS

Christi_03

you know, that's a really really good question and i'll be very interested in finding out!

sorry i cant help you though! i'm sure others here will have lots of wisdom and knowledge to share about this!

take care and God bless

EGgaurdian86

Does anyone have any input?

Unknown

Sorry, I have no idea as to what is symbolizes but I adore that picture.

SaviourOfMySoul

i will ask for you, i go to a catholic school, i am sure our chaplin can explain this i will have an answer for you on monday in teh meantime, can you post thoses websites you found, perhaps i can get an explanation from one of my catholic friends !

maria

ilovesaintmark

The Sacred Heart is related to Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the equivalent for the Virgin Mary is noted as "The Blessed Heart" as a distinguishing point.

In the Roman Catholic Church there are different hierchies. Not just the clerical ranks, but they seem to carry the classification system to other aspects, i.e., feasts, saints, observances, dogmas, doctrines, and even sins.

There influence has been strongly rooted in their evolution from the Roman Empire, the pagan systems of the time, and the political influences. This is contrasted to the Eastern Churches which have relied mostly on the Judaic traditions for their evolution of tradition in the Church. This is a long topic in and of itself.

In regard to the Sacred Heart, one can think of it as a special point of observance and devotion. It is to think of the mystical part of Our Lord that beats for us, thinks kindly for us, has pain for us, and all of the other connotations when one considers the "heart". It also expounds of the pain and agony that he went forth on our behalf. This is signified by the crown of thorns that are laced around the top of the heart in its rendering.

As a devotion, one in which special masses are offered in remembrance and observance, the Roman Catholic Church adopted as an official point in the 18th century. Prior to that as an observance it was a carry over from the medieval period relative to different orders. The focus of this observance was by the mystics and saints of the medieval timeframe and later as a take up by the Cartusians and the Jesuits.

From this observance and meditation, the extension and fostering was carried to the Virgin Mary--the Holy Mother. In regard to the sorrows that she carried throughout her life and especially at the cross in seeing her Son and Savior.

If one is familiar with some of the rites in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), one can see this type of practice as the "devotions" that are carried forward when doing the Rosary prayers. They, at each segment, are focus and concentration points to think about and meditate.

The Coptic Church does not observe this devotion not because it is wrong in any theological aspect, but rather it is not part of our customs and tradition. Just in the same way the R.C.C. does not have some of our traditional observances, or for that matter having dropped them. An example, the annointing, shrouding and reshrouding of the remains and relics of the saints (the entubing of these relics, etc.)

It (Sacred Heart), as an observance and meditation, is known as a "solemnity" which identifies a great event for observance, remembrance, and celebration as a major feast day of the R.C.C. This parallels the Coptic Orthodox Church's observances of the Seven Major and Seven Minor Festal Observances for Our Lord (Feasts).

Major: The Resurrection, Nativity, Theophany, Pentecost, Ascension, Palm Sunday, and the Annunciation.

Minor: Maundy (Covenant) Thursday, Circumcision, Presentation in the Temple, Entry into Egypt, Transfiguration, Wedding of Cana of Galilee, and Thomas Sunday.

I hope this has been helpful.

arabianeyes

Well what i know about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart is that its like a special form of devotion to Jesus. The word heart is considered a symbol for the emotional and moral life of Jesus.
In the devotion, there are two elements:
-a sensible element, the Heart of flesh
- and a spiritual element, that which this Heart of flesh recalls and represents.

But these two elements do not form two distinct objects but one, just as do the body and soul. These two elements are as essential to the devotion as body and soul are essential to man.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart can be defined as devotion to the Heart of Jesus Christ, this Heart represents and recalls His love and devotion to the love of Jesus Christ and this love is recalled and symbolically represented to us by His Heart of flesh. The devotion is based upon the symbolism of the heart. Since the Heart of Jesus appears to us as the sign of His love, the visible wound in the Heart recalls the invisible wound of this love. This symbolism also explains that the devotion is not concerned with the anatomy of the heart. When they say the Sacred heart they mean Jesus. When they say Jesus is the Sacred Heart, they mean Jesus manifesting His Heart, Jesus manifesting His Heart, Jesus all loving. It is characterized by a reciprocation of love; its aim is to love Jesus who has so loved us, to return love for love.

Hope this helps :-*