Celebrating the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary

What does the Immaculate Heart of Mary mean?

The Immaculate Heart of Mary signifies, first of all, the great purity and love of the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary for God. This purity is manifested in her “Yes” to the Father at the Incarnation, Her love for, and cooperation with, the Incarnate Son in His redemptive mission, and her docility to the Holy Spirit, enabling her to remain free of the stain of personal sin throughout her life. Mary’s Immaculate Heart, therefore, points us to her profound interior life, where she experienced both joys and sorrows, yet remained faithful, as we, too, are called to do. In 2024, we celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 8.

Why do we honour Mary’s Immaculate Heart?

St. John Paul II said, “From Mary we learn to love Christ, her Son and the Son of God…. Learn from her to be always faithful, to trust that God’s Word to you will be fulfilled, and that nothing is impossible with God.”

When we honour the Immaculate Heart, we give ultimate honour to Jesus. As we honour the Mother, we honour the Son. In addition, the Blessed Virgin is our mother as well (see Revelation 12:17), and her mother’s heart is incomparable. St. Louis de Montfort said, “If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the heart of Mary for her children.”

What is the history of the Immaculate Heart of Mary?

The Immaculate Heart of Mary was honoured to some degree prior to the 17th century, but St. John Eudes, a 17th-century French priest, popularized this devotion with his great love of the Blessed Mother.