In simple terms, the Sacred Heart is a visual and spiritual way to understand God’s boundless love for us, a love that led Jesus Christ to sacrifice Himself for humanity’s salvation. The Old Testament gives us early images that foreshadow the concept of the Sacred Heart.

In the devotion to the Sacred Heart, the heart of Jesus represents the divine wellspring of love, the source from which flows an abundance of compassion, mercy, and grace. It is the heart that symbolises the core of Christ’s message – love God above all and love your neighbour as yourself.

The heart is the symbolic center of feeling and emotion, and it represents Jesus’ deep love and affection for us. It is sometimes shown by itself, but often with an image of Jesus, and then above his chest.

The Sacred Heart, along with the hearts of Joseph and Mary, symbolizes the profound love, sacrifice, and purity that are at the heart of Christian belief. Understanding these symbols offers deeper insight into the spiritual and historical foundations of Christianity.