+ The visual image we have of today’s Solemnity is the Sacred
Heart of Jesus the Christ – Word of God, Incarnate. An apt
caption for just about any image the we can portray and visualize concerning
the Heart of Christ is this: “As God
Becomes the Flesh, so too the Flesh shall become God.” This says it all: Jesus, the reality of God, who took on human flesh, is everything there
is to know about God the Father: for
he is the exact re-presentation of
the Father; the purpose of his coming to earth was to ensure that we, as
fallen human beings, could once again become God – which was in the plan
all along, from the time of Adam – though this time from God’s gift, rather than from man’s
grasping at becoming God.
GOD
IS LOVE; therefore, God is
nothing but a giant Heart, full of love, full of gentleness, patience,
kindness, compassion, mercy and truth; Jesus
re-presents that Heart: and above that, His own human heart exists entirely for
us. The Word of God did not need a body, he did not need a human heart; but
He chose to take them on so that we could be forgiven of sin, so we could be
healed of our defections. This is the totally selfless meek Heart we honor,
adore and worship today in this feast.
This is the Heart that
lived a solitary life for 30 years; this
is the Heart that was excited about proclaiming a Kingdom of justice, love
and peace for all humanity; this was a
Heart that was moved to pity for so many, and who performed miracle after
miracle to show His own personal care for people; this was the Heart that resolutely made its way to Calvary; this is the Heart that
transsubstantiated bread and wine into his very self (including his heart) as a
memorial of his Passion that would soon follow; this was the Heart that was pierced with a lance, at the site of
crucifixion, allowing the last vestiges of blood and then water to flow from
His Divine Heart; this is the Heart
that was glorified and became the glowing image of peace and forgiveness for
everyone, everywhere from that moment on; this
is the Heart we celebrate today; this
is the Heart that we love today; this
is the Heart extraordinaire that we are called upon to go to, to hide in,
be refreshed by and then moved by to reenter our lives calmed, joyful and eager
to spread such a marvelous and wonderful love to all we meet, after having
experienced it first ourselves!
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, “burning furnace of charity” – fire us up
to imitate your self-sacrificial loving nature, this day and every day – let us
reach out and be for others tirelessly, and when we think we have no more to
give – hide us in your Heart, and have
mercy on us always!
And
let us also remember, that as St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests says: The
priest is the living icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: which poured forth everything
for us and for our salvation! Let us deeply honor, respect and love all priests
– all of them!
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