JESUS CHRIST
Jesus of Nazareth (2 BC – 36 AD), also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the incarnation of God. The principal sources of information regarding the life of Jesus and His teachings are the four canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree Jesus was a Galilean Jew, who was regarded as a teacher and healer. He was baptized by John the Baptist and crucified in Jerusalem under the order of Pontius Pilate. Christian views of Jesus center on the belief that he is divine, is the Messiah whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament, and that he was resurrected after his crucifixion. His mother was the Virgin Mary, also known as Our Lady or the Madonna.
SACRED HEART
The Sacred Heart is a religious devotion to Jesus’ physical heart as the representation of the divine love for humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross and bleeding. Sometimes the image is over the body of Jesus with his wounded hands pointing at the heart. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of love.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary, also called the Sacred Heart of Mary, refers to the physical heart of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a symbol of Mary’s interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, and her compassionate love for all people. Traditionally the heart is pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage of the seven sorrows of Mary, and seven Hail Mary’s are said daily in honor of the devotion.
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic ceremony in which a priest or head of household consecrates the members of a household to the Sacred Heart. A blessed image of the Sacred Heart, either a statue or a picture, is then enthroned in the home to serve as a constant reminder to those who dwell in the house of their consecration to the Sacred Heart.
RELIGIOUS
Religion is often described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object that is considered sacred, divine, or of the highest truth. The Christian religion is centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Christianity has played a prominent role in shaping Western civilization since the 4th century. Currently Christianity has between 1.5 billion and 2.1 billion followers, representing about a quarter to a third of the world’s population. With more than 1 billion members, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest church representing over half of all Christians and one sixth of the world’s population.