The Sacred Heart’s Enduring Love

‘June is the month wherein we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus‘

By Fr Kieran Kilcommons

June is the month wherein we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We would do well to explore the encyclical letter of Pope Francis on the Heart of Jesus. Francis takes us on a very readable and profound journey into the history and the Devotion to the Heart of Jesus. Here is a very sketchy summary.

A picture of the heart of Christ is in the Christian imagination and spirituality from the very beginnings of our faith. Indeed, Pope Francis takes us back to early prophetic literature that implicitly speaks of God’s longing for broken humanity. “Would a mother forget her child? …Yet, even so, I will not forget you.” (Dilexit Nos, 99)

In the gospels we hear the heart of Christ crying out for Jerusalem and calling all who are broken hearted to come to Him. We see the heart of Christ consoling John at the Last Supper when the Beloved Disciple leans his head on the masters breast. What intimacy! We see the precious Blood of Christ pouring forth from the heart of Jesus on the Cross. What divine liberality!

As the centuries progress Christian writers expand on this opening of God’s heart to us. St. Ambrose: “Drink of Christ, for from his side flows forth living water.” (DN,102)

St. Augustine opens the way to devotion to the Sacred Heart as he sees “Christ’s wounded side not only the source of grace and the sacraments, but also the symbol of our intimate union with Christ…” (DN, 103) In later centuries St. Bonaventure “takes up the symbolism of the pierced side of the Lord and understands it explicitly as a revelation and outpouring of all of the love of his heart.” (DN, 104) The contemplative dimension of monastic life was fertile ground for going deeper into this mercy, especially amongst the women mystics, who began to speak of resting in the Heart of Christ and through his heart entering into mystical marriage.

We see that the ground had been well prepared for that time when the Lord eventually appeared to St. Margaret Alacoque to teach her the richness of Devotion to His heart and ask her to promote it in the Church. Pope Francis goes on to name many individuals who are part of this expansion of Christ’s gift of himself to us. Among others he mentions Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, Charles de Foucauld, Francis de Sales, Therese of Lisieux and John Paul ll.

The history and the unfolding of the Sacred Heart provides us with a great appreciation of how our faith is connected to history and history to our faith. It shows us how our spiritual lives are connected to so many people over the centuries and how each generation influences the next.

There is not a change in God’s love but a growth in our understanding and insights into His love. And yet each individual must make their own journey into the Heart of Christ.