Word to the Wise
Friday, June 12, 2015 - Sacred Heart - B
[Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9; Eph 3:8-12, 14-19; John 19:31-37]For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians]
I think St. Paul's words get to the essence of this feast and its many devotional expressions throughout Catholicism. The heart is a universal symbol of love; so much so that bumper stickers simply substitute the shape of a heart for the word, "love." Many Catholic households will have a picture of Jesus unveiling his heart to the onlooker, and there are other examples. There are hymns and a litany and dozens of religious orders dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Yet, it seems to me that St. Paul helps us to the healthiest way of thinking about this spiritual reality.
To use an old expression, "the heart of the matter," is the person of Christ and the person of faith. When these two are united and are "of one heart and mind," there is a powerful spiritual union and a compassion for all who suffer. It is this compassion and mercy that Pope Francis is urging us all to show more completely and practically in everyday life. We cannot hoard the Heart of Jesus. We have to show it. It is nice to have that picture on the wall, but unless we are reaching out to others with the compassion of Christ, that picture remains just a picture. The fullness of God is meant to be shared. AMEN
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