Duc in Altum

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have included another section from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy:

Popular piety tends to associate a devotion with its iconographic expression. This is a normal and positive phenomenon. Inconveniences can sometimes arise: iconographic expressions that no longer respond to the artistic taste of the people can sometimes lead to a diminished appreciation of the devotion's object, independently of its theological basis and its historico-salvific content.

This can sometimes arise with devotion to the Sacred Heart: perhaps certain over sentimental images which are incapable of giving expression to the devotion's robust theological content or which do not encourage the faithful to approach the mystery of the Sacred Heart of our Saviour.

Recent time have seen the development of images representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the moment of crucifixion which is the highest expression of the love of Christ. The Sacred Heart is Christ crucified, his side pierced by the lance, with blood and water flowing from it (cf, John 19, 34).
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 173

Truly, the image of our Lord crucified is an icon worthy of our meditation. Here the God-man has given Himself as the one, perfect sacrifice for our sins. The unblemished lamb who knew no sin has become sin in order that we might be saved from our sins.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise. Revelation 5:12

Before His Sacred Heart, which is pierced and from which flows water and His precious blood, we can only bow in adoration before our God. He is the One who has loved us so much that He took on flesh in order to offer it up for the sake of us who are sinners.