Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This feast is the titular feast of the Priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross. If you know any priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, please wish them a good feast day! The founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Moreau wrote, “To give one’s heart is to give love. Jesus speaks our language when he holds out his heart to us, which tells the story of his love for us. The primary purpose of the devotion to the Sacred Heart is to return love for love.”
In almost every world culture, the heart has always been a popular symbol of love. It is considered the locus of site for emotions and love. It is considered the site where mercy, compassion, good will, grace, and generosity dwell. The Feast Day of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is meant to remind us all of those elements that are the center of Christ’s heart for each one of us.
The Meaning of the Sacred Heart
The traditional image used to depict the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is powerfully emotive – we have a heart that is red, circled by a crown of thorns, and a top the heart is a crucifix with a burning flame at its bottom. The red heart speaks of the tender and fervent love of Christ for each one of us. The crown of thorns represents the pain and rejection Christ endured while willingly embracing the weight of humanity’s brokenness upon His shoulders. The Cross atop the heart speaks of Christ’s self-giving love, it represents his suffering and death but even more importantly the triumph of His resurrection.
It is through the cross, His death and resurrection that the gates to eternal life were opened to each one of us. The flame signified the intensity and transformative power of God’s love that is capable of purifying and rekindling our lives anew. As Blessed Moreau taught us “The primary purpose of the devotion to the Sacred Heart is to return love for love.”
Revive Our Own Hearts
On this day we are reminded of the burning love of Christ for each one of us. On this day we are also challenged to imitate Christ in our love, compassion, grace, generosity, and mercy for one another. We can live out the message of the Most Sacred Heart in the way we relate with one another in our families, in our workplaces, and in our community.
Pope Francis has promised that in the next year he intends to write a letter on the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The reason he intends to write is because we live in a world that has “lost its heart” or whose “heart has become cold.” In other words, we have become desensitized or numb to the pains and sufferings of others. Our hearts need to be rekindled to become warm and sensitive to other people and their situations. No one who comes to know of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and what is packed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus remains the same! Their hearts become tender and they become filled with compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and mercy. We become mirrors of Christ’s love and compassion.
Total Renewal
Today as we continue with our Mass we pray that the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Enlightens all that is dark in us, Strengthens all that is weak in us, Mends what is broken in us, Heals what is sick in us, Binds what is injured in us; and most importantly we pray that a spark from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Revives what is lifeless in us, whether it is hope, faith, charity, zeal, and peace. May we turn to the Sacred Heart for anything we desire to be renewed in our personal lives, our families, or our communities. Amen.
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