Jesus is Divine Charity. At first glance the eye should be drawn to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus’ Sacred Heart is a real anatomical heart burning with the fire of Divine Love. Behind the Sacred Heart we see a “throne of fire and flames” resembling the sun (Bougard 229). The sun is a visible example of divine charity by shining its light in all directions, on the just and unjust, on all capable of receiving it, never denying or suspending its light from anyone (María De Jesús 399). The flames radiate as if one can hear the words that Jesus spoke to St. Margaret Mary “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with men that it can no longer contain within itself the flames of its ardent charity (Bougard 164).”
On the right side of Jesus’ Heart we see a lesion with both blood and water flowing from His side. The Sacred Heart is encircled with a crown of thorns, signifying the wounds made in it by our sins. A cross is embedded into Jesus’ heart representing the sorrow inflicted throughout Jesus’ life and during His sacred passion.
To the lower left of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Behind the Immaculate Heart is the moon. While the sun’s vivid rays can “blind us because of our weakness”, the moon is “fair and gentle”, receiving it’s light from the sun (Montfort). The Blessed Virgin Mary, the moon, is the perfect reflection of Jesus, the Son of God, the sun. At the center of the Mary’s Heart is a white, red and gold rose representing prayer, sacrifice and penance from the apparitions of Our Lady as Rosa Mystica. A sword pierces through Mary’s heart just like Simeon prophesized (Luke 2:35). Surrounding the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a crown of seven white roses with red thorns, which represent the seven sorrows endured by Mary.
To the right of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. St. Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart lies on a wooden cross. The cross represents the suffering he endured to support and provide for Jesus and Mary. The white lilies represent St. Joseph’s chastity and virginity. Surrounding St. Joseph’s Heart is a wooden carved crown characterizing his trade as a carpenter. Both St. Joseph’s wooden crown and Mother Mary’s white rose crown are linked to Jesus’ crown of thorns. As we grow to love and honor St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession, the closer we are to Jesus’s Most Sacred Heart.
At the bottom of the painting, is the heart from Ezechiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.” This stony heart is ours. As the blood and water bleed out of the wound in Jesus’ Most Sacred Heart and drips down onto our heart, the stone crumbles revealing a heart of flesh on fire with the Holy Ghost. This is a visual of what happens after Baptism and each time we go to Confession. Behind our heart is the earth because we are called to live in this world but not be of the world.
As the artist, I pray that this painting draw hearts to be United in the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Works Cited:
Bougaud, Rt. Rev. Emile. Life of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: BENZIGER BROTHERS, 1920. Print.
María De Jesús. The Mystical City of God: The Divine History and Life of the Virgin Mother of God, Our Queen and Our Lady, Most Holy Mary, Expiatrix of the Fault of Eve and Mediatrix of Grace ; the Miracle of His Omnipotence and the Abyss of His Grace. Trans. Geo J. Blatter. The Conception ed. Vol. I. Charlotte, NC: TAN, 2013. Print.
Montfort, Louis-Marie Grignion de. True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Translated by Frederick William Faber, Montfort Fathers, 1950.
