Heart to heart: A promise & a prayer • PhilSTAR Life

In celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Apparition and 100th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, MOA Sanctuary recently launched its “Heart to Heart” exhibit at the MOA Sanctuary.

Featuring beautiful images of the Sacred Heart and Saint Therese, as well as relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and Saint Therese, “Heart to Heart” is a joint project of SM Mall of Asia, Liturgical Commission of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, Miraculous Medal Apostolate, National Shrine of the Sacred Heart, and Jesuit Music Ministry.

Image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, a replica of the venerated image in the Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer in Brixton Hill, Quezon City. This image is in memory of the late Dennis Raymond Policarpio Maturan.

On June 16, 1675, Our Lord requested that the Devotion of First Fridays be practiced. Jesus told St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, “I promise you that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its Divine Love upon those who shall thus honor It, and cause It to be honored.”

This image is based on the banner placed on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica during the beatification and canonization of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. The banner is called “La Gloria” or “The Glory.”

Pope Francis in his encyclical “Dilexit Nos” reminds us that “devotion to Christ’s heart is essential for our Christian life to the extent that it expresses our openness in faith and adoration to the mystery of the Lord’s divine and human love. In this sense, we can once more affirm that the Sacred Heart is “a synthesis of the Gospel.”

An image of St. Therese of the Child Jesus amid roses from the collection of Fr. Rolando Limjoco, CM

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus was canonized on May 17, 1925. She had a special and deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through this devotion, she experienced a profound connection between her own heart and the Heart of her Savior, and she deeply longed to love Christ with all of her being. From her letter, she wrote: “Pray to the Sacred Heart; you know that I myself do not see the Sacred Heart as everybody else. I think that the Heart of my Spouse is mine alone, just as mine is His alone, and I speak to Him then in the solitude of this delightful heart to heart, while waiting to contemplate Him one day face to face.”

The Rosary Walk with its globes of light where devotees can meditate on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary at the MOA Sanctuary

The MOA Sanctuary is a sacred space at the SM Mall of Asia’s MOA Sky area, which offers a tranquil retreat for prayer and reflection. Officially launched on May 5, 2025, the MOA Sanctuary is a glass-enclosed oval religious gallery or exhibit hall, which allows for transparent and well-lit views of outdoor spots, which include the globes of light for the Rosary Walk, secluded pocket gardens, and a serene grass lawn with an enclosed pond at the center.

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Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus made by the Talleres de Maximo Vicente, a renowned imaginer

First-class relic of St. Mary Margaret Alacoque to whom the Sacred Heart appeared in 1675.

An Image of the Holy Infant of the Sacred Heart

Rose from Museo ng Medalya Milagros

First-class flesh relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Relic card and small pouch containing a third-class relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

First-class hair relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Images of the parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Saints Louis and Azélie-Marie Martin. Both were canonized on Oct. 18, 2015 by Pope Francis.

Fr. Genaro Diwa, commissioner of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission; Darwin Lomentigar of the Jesuit Music Ministry; Luz Medina of The Parish Pastoral Council and president of the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart; and Perkin So, SAVP for operations of SM Mall of Asia