'Do as he tells you'
Holy Mass
Twin Hearts Devotion
Cobh
5 December 2025
My friends,
We gather to share in the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a twin devotion beloved by so many and with deep roots in the spiritual life of believers across the generations.
In the case of devotion to the Sacred Heart, it finds its inspiration from the verses, John 19:33-34,
“When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.”
This piercing of the heart of Jesus, we know, has served as a vibrant symbol of the love of God being poured out for all, in the sacramental life of the Church.
And you have, from an earlier point in that crucifixion scene, Jesus entrusts Mary, as Mother, to the beloved disciple and indeed as Mother to the Church. From the first moments of the Annunciation and Mary’s “let what you have said be done to me”, we realise the extraordinary role that Mary plays in the work of redemption. The profoundly human concerns of her worry at Jesus’ ‘loss’ on the one hand and her acknowledgement that ‘he must be about his Fathers business.” At Cana, her prompting that the feast was running out of wine, “Do as he tells you”, reflects an intimacy of grace in action.
All these gospel scenes testify to the intimate connection between the life and mission of Jesus and his mother. This close connection has been the origin and inspiration of our Marian devotion. This was simplified by the spiritual genius of the development of the Rosary, whereby, we reflect that twin celebration of the love of Jesus for humanity through his life, death and resurrection. All our prayer is to God, Creator, Redeemed and Sanctifier. We pray always through the intercession of Our Lady, knowing her intense love for all of God’s children.
As with all enthusiasm, it carries a measure of risk – that we lose the necessary balance. Christ Jesus is our Lord and Saviour – he is ever the ‘Word made flesh’, full of grace and truth. In this regard, it is good for us as disciples who are inspired by the devotion to the two hearts, the Twin Hearts, of Jesus and Mary, to attend to the recent document from Pope Leo XIV, ‘Mater Populi Fidelis’, Mother of the Faithful People of God.
The document has been in preparation for many years, and Pope Leo was keen that is be published. It’s a very helpful document because it traces the history of the development of devotions and prayer across the centuries, through the inspiration of individual saints, their congregations and the promulgation of many different Popes.
A major concern was the increasing use of the title Co- Redemptrix for Mary. This title is rejected firmly because it obscures Christ’s unique role as Redeemer. The document affirms Mary’s indispensable but subordinate co-operation in salvation ‘as the first and foremost collaborator.’
The use of the title Co-Redemptrix risks imbalance and confusion and for that reason, should not be used in official Church texts or liturgy – so that we place our emphasis on Jesus alone, as sole Mediator and Redeemer.
My friends, this is a word of caution and pastoral guidance. It does not distract from our devotion to the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary, that testify most powerfully to us, of God’s love, mercy and grace in our lives.
