Pray to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Already in June 2016, Pope Francis exhorted young people, the sick and newlyweds "to pray with particular intensity to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary." His appeal was made at the end of the General Audience on June 8, 2016 in St Peter's Square.

The Pope asked us to pray to the Hearts of Christ and the Blessed Virgin "in order to learn to love God and neighbor with complete dedication."

The month of June is, in fact, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The Pope celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart on June 3rd, the first Friday of the month, with some 6,000 priests from all over the world, and invited them to read Pope Pius XII's encyclical on the Heart of Christ, Haurietis Aquas, a title taken from the prophet Isaiah: "You shall draw water from the springs of salvation."

"The Heart of Christ is the center of Mercy," said the Pope. "When Pope Pius XII published his encyclical on the Heart of Jesus, some said, "that’s for nuns to do." Well, maybe nuns actually do understand this better because they are "mothers," because they are icons of the Blessed Virgin. Read Haurietis Aquas—it will do you a lot of good!" the Pope exclaimed. (This encyclical was published on May 15, 1956.)

The following day, on June 4th, the Church celebrated the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Adapted from: Zenit