Word to the Wise
Friday, June 7, 2024 - Sacred Heart - B
[Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9; Eph 3:8-12, 14-19; John 19:31-37,166]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; and 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, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians]
Although devotion built around the heart of Jesus dates from the Middle Ages, this feast finds its more immediate origins in visions experienced by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque in the 16th century. The devotion spread widely and many of us can remember the framed picture of Jesus exposing his heart and the dedication of the home to his Sacred Heart. It was called the "enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the home."
The heart is generally associated with the emotional side of human nature and its depiction is certainly "streamlined" from what the physical heart looks like! Valentine's Day is a good example of all of this. But the heart is a muscle!!! It is a pump that keeps our body going. Heart and brain have to work together to keep us alive. On a more "spiritual" level, the scriptures speak of God's heart (cf. first scripture today from Hosea: My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred!) The heart is not just associated with love, but also with compassion and pity for OTHERS. St. Paul's prayer in Ephesians in the second scripture for today speaks of knowing the love of Christ for us, a love we are expected to bring to others. The account in the gospel scripture from John of the centurion piercing the side of Christ has been interpreted as giving birth to the Church from the heart of Christ.
On all levels of understanding and devotion, it's a good idea to be "heart healthy" and to appreciate the love God has for us and is meant to be shared. The feast of the Sacred Heart is a good reminder of this. AMEN