SACRAMENTALS
We must understand that
medals, scapulars, holy
water and any other type
of sacramentals are not
amulets
for
our
protection.
They
are
consecrated objects that
indeed help when the
wearer has FAITH and tries
SACRED HEART OF JESUS
St. Mary-Margarets vision, of a heart entwined with thorns and flames, 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 Saints death, the bishop of Marseilles, Monseigneur de
Belsunce, consecrated his diocese to the Sacred Heart in an effort to spare the
region from plague. The plague passed over Marseilles, and the symbol became
very popular, associated with acts of charity and piety and used as a charm
against disease. Today, to devote oneself to veneration of the Sacred Heart is to
in effect make the heart of Christ ones own- to create within oneself the love and
compassion of Christ- in essence, to be Christ-like.
The IHS is a symbolic monogram of Christ used by the Roman
Catholic Church. This monogram consists of the Greek letters
iota, eta, and sigma, the first three letters of the name Iesous
(Greek for Jesus), the letters of which are also used to spell out
the Latin phrase Iesous Hominem Salvator, Jesus, savior of
man. It relates to the story of Constantine, whose vision of the
Chi-Rho was recorded by Church Father Eusebius. In the vision,
Constantine was reported to have heard a voice proclaim, In
this symbol, thou shalt conquer. Therefore, the IHS has also
stood for In Hoc Signo, in this sign.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary represents the Virgin Mary as
Mother of Sorrows, the grieving mother, regarded as a symbol of
deep compassion for humanity.
The heart of Mary is a very old form of Catholic 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 Virgin in the visions of Saints and devotees. The
devotions are traced to St.s Anselm and Bernard of Clairvaux in the
eleventh and twelfth centuries, and popularised in the seventeenth
century by Saint Jean Eudes.
Miraculous Medal (Marian Monogram)
The emblem at right is one of many examples of Marian
Monograms employed by devotees of the Virgin Mary
within the Catholic Church. This particular example
appears on the reverse of the miraculous medal,
based on a design received in a vision of the Virgin by St.
Catherine Labour in 1830. According to the legend,
Theresa was directed by Mary to fashion the medal as a
symbol of charity.
Auspice Maria
This symbol consisting of the intertwined letters A and M, is called
Auspice Maria, a monogram of the Virgin Mary. Auspice Maria is
Latin for Under the protection of Mary and is commonly found in
Catholic religious art, on churches, and inscribed on jewelry. It is
sometimes (incorrectly) referred to or used as a stand-in for the
salutation
Ave
Maria.
The Rose Cross originated as a Christian symbol in the first
century, as a symbol of the blood of Christ, and a mystery of
sacrifice. The earliest rose crosses were a variation of the
Christian ankh or crux ansata, and are associated with the
Coptic (Egyptian) church, and related Gnostic sects. The rose
and cross was later adopted and popularized as the primary
emblem of the Rosicrucians, an apocryphal secret society that
originated during the Renaissance.
The rose symbolized the redemptive power of the blood of
Christ; the symbol as a whole illustrated the triumph of spirit
over matter. A deeper, hidden significance of the symbol is the
union of the rose of Mary with the Cross of Christ, the union of
the divine feminine with the divine masculine. The shape of
the rose cross suggests the rosary or the mirror-cross of Venus.
According to Rosicrucian philosophers, the whole Rosicrucian
philosophy could be found within the symbol. The rose cross
was adopted as a Hermetic occult symbol during the Middle
ages, and was later popularized by the Nineteenth century
magical order the Golden Dawn. The esoteric meaning of the
cross is quite similar to the original; the cross symbolizes the
material plane, and the cycle of death and rebirth. The rose
represents the unfolding nature of spiritual growth. When the
equal armed cross is employed, it has a secret significance: the
word lux, or light, can be found hidden in its arms.
SAN BENITO
MEDALLON
What is the Green Scapular?
The Green Scapular, called by Our Lady, The Badge of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was
given to the world by the Blessed Virgin Mary through a series of apparitions to Sister Justine
Bisqueyburo, a Daughter of Charity, in the early 1840s in Paris, France. On the Feast of the
Nativity of Mary, Sept. 8th, 1840, the Mother of God appeared holding in her right hand her
Immaculate Heart, mounted by flames and holding in her other hand a scapular.
The scapular consisted of a simple piece of green cloth, rectangular in shape, hanging from a
green string. On one side was an image of Our Lady dressed in a long white gown which
reached to her bare feet. Over this she wore a light blue mantle. However, she wore no veil.
Instead, her hair hung loosely about her; and in her hands she held her Heart from the top of
which gushed abundant flames. Her bearing was enhanced by a majestic beauty all heavenly.
On the other side of the scapular was pictured her Immaculate Heart, all ablaze and
transparent as crystal, with rays pouring out that appeared more dazzling than the sun. This
Heart, pierced with a sword, was encircled by an inscription in the form of an oval and topped
by a golden Cross. The inscription read:
This promise is found in a Bull of Pope
John XXII. The Blessed Virgin appeared
to him and speaking of those who wear
the Brown Scapular said: "I, the Mother
of grace, shall descend on the Saturday
after their death and whomsoever I shall
find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I
may lead them to the holy mountain of
life everlasting." The Blessed Virgin
assigned certain conditions which must
1.
the Brown scapular continuously
beWear
fulfilled:
he Brown Scapular
2. Observe chastity according to one's
state in life. (married / single)
3. Recite daily the "Little Office of the
Blessed Virgin Mary." This devotion may
be substituted for any of the following:
* To observe the fasts of the Church.
* To recite five decades of the Holy Rosary
* Or with the permission of a priest to do a
good work.
Note: There is no substitute for the first two conditions: that is wearing the scapular and
observing chastity. Pope Benedict XV, the celebrated World War I Pontiff granted 500 days
indulgence for devoutly kissing your scapular. INDULGENCE: The remission in whole or in part
for the temporal punishment due to sins. (Remission of time spent in Purgatory.)
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