A heart as wide as the world

Depicted as a flaming, shining, bleeding heart, pierced by a lance, encircled by a crown of thorns, and topped with a cross, the Sacred Heart of Jesus symbolizes Christ’s boundless, suffering love for humanity. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the best known and most practiced of all Catholic devotions, but the 17th-century French Visitation nun who received the revelation of this devotion, Margaret Mary Alacoque, was doubted in her lifetime, and the practice wasn’t officially recognized until 75 years after her death. Incorporate an aspiration, or short prayer, to the Sacred Heart each day to remind you that you are unconditionally loved. Examples are “Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours," “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in your love for me,” or "Sacred Heart of Jesus, may you be known, loved, and imitated!" MEMORIAL OF MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE, RELIGIOUS