Celebrating the Sacred Heart

 

We celebrate with great joy the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! 

The Church dedicates the whole month June to this Mystery of Jesus.

At Casa Maria, one of the first things visitors see is the beautiful Sacred Heart Statue in our courtyard.  Our community has a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus!  We pray an act of consecration to Him every morning and observe the First Friday devotions every month.

In the Image of the Sacred Heart, Jesus reveals many things about the nature of His Love.

When the Sacred Heart appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, He said:

 

 

“Behold the heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even exhausting and consuming itself in testimony of its love.”

 

 

The Flames represent the Passionate Love of Jesus.  Passionate love is a burning desire for the good of some beloved person.  To desire something we cannot have – or at least not without great struggle – causes a painful heartache in our deepest being. 

What is God’s desire that prompted Him to suffer His Passion? He desires us! God created us to be happy and He is waiting for us to respond to that welcome gift. 

His Heart burns with this passionate love so that all men may be gathered to Himself. (John 12:32)

The Crown of Thorns surrounding Jesus’ Heart reminds us to have sorrow for sin and share in His compassion for poor sinners.  Although historically Jesus was crowned with thorns as a mockery of His Kingship, it points to a greater reality:

His Kingship is a Reign of Redemptive, Self-sacrificing Love.

Jesus’ Heart bears the Cross like a trophy.  He willingly suffered His Passion because He wants us to share Everlasting Life with Him forever.

When Jesus reminds us of the Cross, He wants us to remember the extent of His Love! 

Jesus’ Heart is pierced.  The drops of blood flowing from it indicate that it is still an open wound.  Jesus has thus made Himself vulnerable – so accessible to us that He can be hurt by our rejection. 

He keeps it that way to pour out graces upon us and so that we can be free to approach the Merciful Heart of God to beg Him for all our needs.

While He reveals the suffering of His Heart, Jesus also shows us His Glory by the Light that emanates from behind His Heart.  He has already won the victory for us over sin.

Let us respond to His grace and imitate His Heart by our lives!

This is an especially rich time to prayerfully meditate on God’s Love.  When you look at His Sacred Heart, know that He is speaking to you with singular affection and calling you to enter into His Heart, where “you will find rest.” (Mt 11:28)

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