The shield and the promises to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This devotion arose from a private apparition of Our Lord in 1686 to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, in which He asked that a shield be made with the image of His Sacred Heart so that all those who wished to honor Him could place it in their homes and also bring it with them in smaller sizes.
During the plague that hit the city of Marseille in 1720, religious sisters distributed thousands of shields to the sick with the inscription: “Cease, the Heart of Jesus is with me!”, bringing an end to the plague and extraordinary graces for countless sick people.
Another great miracle reported in history was that of a mother who consecrated her son to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to Our Lady when she left for the war of unification in Italy in 1870, giving him a stopper sign drawn on a piece of red cloth, guaranteeing that she would protect him and bring him home safe from the fighting.
The boy came back from the war intact and with a great testimony: he said that a bullet had hit him right in the middle of the chest, but exactly where the shield was, causing him no injury.
His mother took the story to Pope Pius IX, who then approved and created the devotion, saying: "This, madam, is an inspiration from Heaven. Yes, from Heaven (...) I am going to bless this Heart, and I want all those who are made according to this model to receive this same blessing, without the need for another priest to renew it. Furthermore, I want Satan in no way to be able to harm those who carry the Shield, symbol of the adorable Heart of Jesus."
Watch the video we made of this private apparition of Our Lord dictating the devotion to the shield of His Heart:
Source: video and Stopper Sign design with images generated by A.I. and free distribuction vectors
The 12 promises to devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
During the apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus asked that a feast be created in honor of his Sacred Heart:
Jesus: “Behold, I ask you that the first Friday after the octave of the Blessed Sacrament (Body of God) be dedicated to a special feast to honor My Heart by receiving Holy Communion on this day and giving it due reparation through an act of displeasure, to make amends for the indignities it has received during the time it has been exposed on the altars.And I promise you that My Heart will expand to abundantly pour out the influences of His divine Love on those who pay tribute to this divine honor and who seek to have it paid to them.”
Source: Creative Commons CC0 1.0
In 1856, Pope Pius IX also complied with the Lord's request, creating the Solemnity of Sacred Heart Day on every second Friday, following the solemnity of Corpus Christi.Jesus also makes the following 12 promises to devotees of his Sacred Heart:
First: “My blessing will remain upon the houses in which the image of my Sacred Heart is exposed and venerated.”
Second: “I will give the devotees of my Heart all the graces necessary for their state”;
Third: “I will establish and preserve peace in their families”;
Fourth: “I will console them in all their afflictions”;
Fifth: “I will be their safe refuge in life and especially at the hour of death”;
Sixth: “I will shower abundant blessings on their labors and undertakings”;
Seventh: “Sinners will find in my Heart an inexhaustible source of mercy”;
Eighth: “Foolish souls will become fervent through the practice of this devotion”;
Ninth: “Fervent souls will soon rise to high perfection”;
Tenth: “I will give priests who especially practice this devotion the power to touch the most hardened hearts”;
Eleventh: “People who spread this devotion will have their name inscribed forever in my Heart.”
Twelfth: “To all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Fridays of nine consecutive months, I will give the grace of final perseverance and eternal salvation”.
Referências: Arquidiocese de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Arquidiocese de Goiânia, Paróquia São Pedro e São Paulo, Santuário Santa Filomena, A12, Formação Canção Nova, Library of Congress, Freepik, Pixabay, Rawpixel, Microsoft Designer, Deepl.