Sacramentals

SACRAMENTALS We must understand that medals, scapulars, holy water and any other type of sacramentals are not amulets for our protection. They are consecrated o!ects that indeed help when the wearer has "A#T$ "A#T$ and  and tries

SACRE& $EART '" (ES)S St. Mary-Margaret’s vision, of a heart entwined with thorns and ames, sprouting a cross from the top, was drawn from the visions of earlier mystics, and possibly from alchemical imagery common at the time.

A few decades after the Saint’s death, the bishop of Marseilles, Monseigneur de Belsunce, consecrated his diocese to the Sacred eart in an e!ort to spare the region from plague. "he plague passed over Marseilles, and the symbol became very popular, associated with acts of charity and piety and used as a charm against disease. "oday, to devote oneself to veneration of the Sacred $eart is to in e!ect ma#e the heart of $hrist one’s own- to create within oneself the love and

 "he #$S is a symbolic monogram of $hrist used by the %oman $atholic $hurch. "his monogram consists of the &ree# letters iota, eta, and sigma, the 'rst three letters of the name (esous )&ree# for *esus+, the letters of which are also used to spell out the atin phrase (esous ominem Salvator,  Jesus, savior of man. (t relates to the story of $onstantine, whose vision of the $hi-%ho was recorded by $hurch /ather 0usebius. (n the vision, $onstantine was reported to have heard a voice proclaim, (n this symbol, thou shalt con1uer. "herefore, the (S has also stood for (n oc Signo,  in this sign.

 "he #mmaculate $eart of Mary represents the 2irgin Mary as Mother of Sorrows,’ the grieving mother, regarded as a symbol of deep compassion for humanity.  "he heart of Mary is a very old form of $atholic devotion, with many layers of symbolism. Much of the present symbolism of the heart and its attendant devotions are derived from Marian apparitionsappearances of the 2irgin in the visions of Saints and devotees. "he devotions are traced to St.s Anselm and Bernard of $lairvau3 in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and popularised in the seventeenth century by Saint *ean 0udes.

Miraculous Medal *Marian Mono+ram

 "he emblem at right is one of many e3amples of Marian Monograms employed by devotees of the 2irgin Mary within the $atholic $hurch. "his particular e3ample appears on the reverse of the  miraculous medal, based on a design received in a vision of the 2irgin by St. $atherine abour4 in 5678. According to the legend,  "heresa was directed by Mary to fashion the medal as a symbol of charity.

Auspice Maria

 "his symbol consisting of the intertwined letters A and M, is called Auspice Maria, a monogram of the 2irgin Mary. Auspice Maria is atin for 9nder the protection of Mary and is commonly found in $atholic religious art, on churches, and inscribed on :ewelry. (t is sometimes )incorrectly+ referred to or used as a stand-in for the salutation Ave Maria.

 "he Rose Cross  originated as a $hristian symbol in the 'rst century, as a symbol of the blood of $hrist, and a mystery of sacri'ce. "he earliest rose crosses were a variation of the $hristian an#h or cru3 ansata, and are associated with the $optic )0gyptian+ church, and related &nostic sects. "he rose and cross was later adopted and populari