June- The month of the Sacred Heart

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 In the old rite of the Mass, at the time of the consecration the priest would lean over on the altar, almost as if he was leaning on the heart of Christ. Even today, some priests still carry out this gesture. This is a beautiful thought because the most powerful heartbeat of Christ is heard when we come and receive Him in the Eucharist and sit with Him in silent Adoration before his Eucharistic presence. St. Augustine tells us that: “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.” To enter God’s Heart, to rest on His heart, takes only a moment of quiet prayer. These moments will make a difference. 

The first biography of a saint which I read was that of St. Faustina. Actually, it was her diary on Divine Mercy. I was about 17 years old and it really touched my soul and placed within me a deep desire for holiness and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. From the Christ Child, St. Faustina learned a most important lesson for her spiritual journey, the way of spiritual childhood. The way of spiritual childhood, however, is not childish. It is not excessively sentimental or naïve. Rather, it involves a total surrender to our heavenly Father's providential care — total abandonment of our own plans, opinions, and self-will, and radical trust in God.  Several times the Infant Jesus appeared to St. Faustina and taught her this lesson. For instance, she writes of what happened during Mass one day:

“... I saw the Infant Jesus near my kneeler. He appeared to be about one year old, and He asked me to take Him in my arms. When I did take Him in my arms, He cuddled up close to my heart and said, "It is good for Me to be close to your heart. … Because I want to teach you spiritual childhood. I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart, just as you are holding Me close to your heart right now.” (Diary, 1481)

'To Jesus through Mary' is an often-repeated phrase of devotional writers and preachers. St. Louis Marie De Montfort has formulated perhaps the clearest devotion and adoration of Jesus Christ, that is, to love him and gift ourselves to him through Mary, with her spirit, with her Immaculate Heart. In his book, True Devotion to Mary, he shows that proper devotion to the Mother of God only makes one more Christ- centred. She always leads us to her Son so we can discover the immensity of His love. St. Augustine also reminds us that to “fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.” The heart of Jesus is not a mushy rom-com story but a romance where He was willing to go to Calvary and beyond out of love, pure love. In the words of Cardinal Newman: the relationship with Jesus Christ is where the “Heart speaks to Heart- Cor ad cor loquitur!” 

Whilst the devotion to the Sacred Heart is timeless, too often it is seen as a devotion for old people! In 2024, Pope Francis wrote an encyclical letter ‘Dilexit nos’, on the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ. It’s worth a read and you can access it here.  Whilst it’s the first papal letter solely on the Sacred Heart in nearly 70 years, the last being Haurietis Aquas (1956), in it, Pope Francis reminds us that many of his predecessors had indeed encouraged this devotion to the Sacred Heart. In this encyclical he invites Catholics to renew authentic devotion to the Sacred Heart—a tradition with roots in Scripture and saints, not just devotion—that centres us on Christ’s unconditional love, not as an abstract symbol, but as a lived experience of compassion and friendship. Yet, love isn’t passive; it compels us into social solidarity, justice, and mission in our communities. Pope Francis shows us how the pierced heart is both an expression of divine love and a source of consolation and unity. Our sufferings find meaning there, and the heart stands as a symbol of God suffering with humanity. In reconnecting with our interior life, that is, with the heart, with vulnerability, empathy, and the poetic power of love, we can try to restore our humanity. 

Hopefully, many of us know the beauty of having a heart-to-heart conversation with someone who just listens, understands and is able to be with you in that moment. Words don't necessarily have to follow. It is simply a feeling of presence. This is the promise of Jesus to us, He is always waiting to welcome us, to listen, to let us rest our head on His heart. It is as some spiritual writers describe it, being 'on pilgrimage to the heart of Christ' for this is a journey where the destination is not reached overnight but one where often it is one step at a time. 

So today...why not take some time out to simply rest on the heart of Jesus...you never know what you might hear!

 

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