Destined to become the classic behind the contemporary revival of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Heart of the Redeemer examines the doctrinal roots of the devotion to the Sacred Heart in Scripture and in the Apostolic and Patristic ages; charts its growth and development through the Middle Ages; explains the enormous contribution of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque; and unfolds the teachings of the Papal Magisterium on the Sacred Heart, including Vatican II and John Paul II. The book also includes photographs illustrating the development of the devotion.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is intimately linked to our response in love to the Eucharistic Christ. It lies at the core of Catholic spiritual life and is the key to effective renewal of individuals, the Church and the world. For those who haven't yet lived this devotion--or who want to understand and live it more fully--they will discover its richness and beauty in Heart of the Redeemer.
Years of careful research have produced a one volume synthesis of how the devotion to the Heart of Jesus has developed over the centuries. The result is a moving overview of how the love for Jesus Christ has grown in the hearts of the faithful from Calvary to the present day.
"Heart of the Redeemer is a comprehensive and profound study not only of the origins and theology of devotion to the Sacred Heart, but of its contemporary importance as well. For all the good that it will do to foster a love for Christ, which is personal and social, I warmly welcome Heart of the Redeemer, recommending it to clergy and laity alike."
— John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York
"Heart of the Redeemer is an indispensable source book on the history of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I say `indispensable' because it is the only book of its kind. It is not too much to call it a treasury of Catholic wisdom on the Sacred Heart."
— Fr. John Hardon, S.J., Author, The Catholic Catechism
Timothy T. O'Donnell received his doctorate at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He is Chairman of the Department of Theology at Christendom College.
