Word to the Wise
Friday, June 27, 2014 -
[Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30]Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
Today is not Valentine's Day! The kind of love celebrated on that day is planets apart from the love that we celebrate today. Sentiment is not the same as commitment. The feast of the Sacred Heart aims at understanding Jesus' commitment to us. It is a commitment that took him from Nazareth to a cross in Jerusalem. We are accustomed in our traditional Catholic art to seeing Jesus in pictures and statues with a glowing heart in his chest! But I think a better representation is the crucifix! "Greater love than this no one has than that they lay down their life for a friend."
Although the human heart has become the symbol of love in many cultures, the ancient Hebrews thought the kidneys were the center of emotion! This, at least, pushes love to considerable depth in the human person! It is that kind of love that produces commitment and perseverance despite trials and sorrows - "for better for worse, for richer for poorer." On the feast of the Sacred Heart, I think we can celebrate sacred commitment and know that we are truly loved by God and therefore are called to love one another in the same way. AMEN