Word to the Wise
Friday, June 19, 2009 - Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
[Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9; Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19; John 19:31-37]....to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God...."
In many ways, the feast of the Sacred Heart is the real Catholic "Valentine's Day!" It is a celebration of Christ's love for us! St. Paul's wonderful prayer from Ephesians is one that I love to read and hope that his prayer will be effective for me! (And for all of you!) That being said, the feast day itself can pass without notice by many Catholics now because it appears on a Friday in June and most folks are well into summer camps and vacations, etc. etc. I find it helpful to concentrate on the "love of Christ" for all of us. Certainly the feast has a fascinating history, and, at one time, it was the mark of a Catholic home that a framed portrait of Jesus with that glowing heart would be hanging on the wall of the living room. This was known as the "enthronement of the Sacred Heart!" A large number of religious orders founded in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries took the Sacred Heart as part of their titles. The promises reported by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque about attending Mass and receiving communion on a consecutive number of "First Fridays" in honor of the Sacred Heart (so that one may not die without benefit of final sacraments) have been a staple of traditional Catholic piety. Some of the religious art that attempts to depict the devotion is a bit lurid for my tastes. I suppose that comes from having seen films of heart surgery, etc. Still, the heart remains poetically the physical symbol of love, and to celebrate the heart of Christ as the center of His love for us is to receive the best possible "valentine." AMEN
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