Word to the Wise
Friday, June 23, 2017 - Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost: The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - A
[Deut 7:6-11; 1 John 4:7-16; Matt 11:25-30]"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart...." [Matthew]
Devotion centered on the heart of Jesus became universally popular in the Church in the 16th century, although the devotion had been around in various places since the Middle Ages. This devotion centers on the love the Lord has for us. A particular manifestation of the devotion is called "the enthronement of the Sacred Heart" in a Catholic home. The most popular depiction is seen in pictures and statues of Jesus with a blazing heart shown in the middle of his chest. Thousands of Catholic Churches are named "Sacred Heart" and many religious orders have it in their title.
Our imagination is engaged by this feast because we use the word "heart" to mean so many things. The expression, "Have a heart...", is a plea for compassion. "The heart of the matter" is an expression signifying a central meaning in something. The secular celebration of Valentine's Day plays on this nationally because the heart is associated with love. ( In the Old Testament, the "kidneys" had that distinction. Thank goodness there was a gradual change in that!) We have another expression, "A change of heart..." that speaks to an important decision. Given all these meanings, it is no wonder why Jesus' own heart became such a powerful symbol.
Spiritual directors of a certain school of thought will sometimes say, "Get out of your brain and into your heart." While that approach has its limits, it reveals an important truth. God has given us emotions to help us express aspects of life that escape intellectual analysis. How can one really explain love? The scriptures for this feast tell (1 John) us that real love is from God and is a taste of God's presence. Jesus speaks of being "meek and humble of heart," as a way of confronting the burdens of life. Whatever our attitude is about this universal devotion, we do crave God's love. The feast of the Sacred Heart is a reminder that Christ's love is real and is ours to have. AMEN