Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
When we make reference to something being “from the heart,” what we are saying is that it is of the utmost importance and that it comes from the very core of our being.
This week on Friday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and on Saturday the Church celebrated the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Except in the Diocese of Jefferson City, which is under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so it is moved to the following Sunday so that we celebrate it in a more fitting manner.
We know that the heart is a muscle that pumps our blood through our body. If our heart ceases to function, then we die. So it has become a symbol of not only our life, but also our innermost being. We use the heart as a symbol of the love we feel for another. We might say to our beloved, “I love you with all of my heart,” or, “I offer my heart to you.” These are expressions of deep love.
So it is fitting that we use the symbols of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary to express both their love for God and their love for each of us. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is pictured with a flame coming out of the top and a cross above.  More symbols to express the burning love to follow the will of God as He suffered and died to redeem us.  There is also a crown of thorns around the heart: a memorial to the passion and death of Jesus. The Immaculate Heart of Mary also has a flame coming from the top. In addition, it has a sword piercing the heart. This makes reference to a prophecy given by Simeon when Jesus was presented in the Temple.  He says, your heart will be pierced by a sword, indicating the suffering she will share with Jesus in His death on the Cross. There is also a crown of roses encircling the heart. This is a recognition of the purity of Mary, bestowed upon her from the moment of her coming into being. This is called the Immaculate Conception. God prepared Mary, from the very beginning, to be the Mother of His Son.
These Heart symbols help us to understand in a small way the mystery of the love of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, for God and for us. We all know what love is, but we would be hard pressed to define or explain it. It is all part of the mystery of our life in God.
Lord, may my heart be united in love to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
 Msgr. Cox