MEDITATION ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

By Rev. Fr. Casmir Odundo, Kibet 

A couple of weeks ago, a young person shared with me her experience: “Father, my heart has been broken so many times?” She said. “Well, is there any piece of it left?” I asked.

We must begin our reflection on the Sacred Heart of Jesus with our own hearts. I recently asked a medical student, about the anatomy of heart of a human person. Several things still remain from our conversation. First is of course the fact that the heart is a vital organ; necessary for life. Sometimes doctors rely on the heart beat to know if someone is alive or dead.

Anatomy of the Heart

If your heart stops beating you are dead. The heart of course, as I shall explain, is a symbol of love. So, I interpreted it like, “if you stop loving, you are dead.” Secondly, the efficiency of the heart. It is a quite a small organ, the size of our fist, but it manages to pump over 5 litres of blood all over the body. I asked the said student about what is normally called, the heart break. “Well, there are many diseases associated with the heart, but there is no disease called THE HEART BREAK. Furthermore, the heart is elastic, it cannot just break.” She said.

Of course, when we are talking about the heart in this case, we don’t mean the heart in an anatomical or physical sense as in the case of a medical student. The heart has for years been used symbolically to express the emotional and moral side of a man. It is an emblem of love.  I recall my earlier days in primary school. There were those cheeky students, who perhaps due to adolescence would write (sometimes draw) love letters to their secret boyfriends or girlfriends. They would often use the symbol of a heart or love with an arrow, to express just how their feelings.

Today the Church invites us to reflect on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Not the physical heart of course, but the heart as used symbolically to express Jesus’ emotive side: His love and affection for us. So when we are reflecting on the sacred heart, we are also basically reflecting on Our Lord’s immense love for us. Jesus knows how to love. He loves us passionately, immensely, and to eternity. His love is true love. His heart is always depicted as wounded and encircled with thorns. To remind us of how much He suffers because of His Love for us. The greatest suffering, the greatest wound in our Lord’s heart, is cause by us. How many times we have rejected, ignored and despised Our Lord’s love for us. How many times, have we then, Broken Jesus’ Heart.

St. Margret Mary

This devotion to the Sacred heart was promoted by St. Margret Mary Alacoque, to whom Our Lord exposed the intimate beatings of His heart.  In it we meditate on the humanity of our Lord.

Love is most hurting when it is one sided; when it is not reciprocated. Our prayer today therefore, is that we may learn to reciprocate God’s Love. There are many ways of doing this. By our conversation: Sometimes we should have a heart to heart conversation,  Cor ad cor loquitor with Jesus, preferably in the presence of  the Blessed Sacrament for Jesus is there. We can also reciprocate this love by our actions. Love is of course shown in action.  When a man or a woman is in love, it is easy to notice. There is always something always different. Perhaps,  a spark in the eye. What we need is to fall in love with Jesus. And finally we should make Jesus’ heart our own. This means loving as He did. To love immensely like Him.

Jesus’ love is also sacrificial Love: sometimes loving means letting go. Sometimes loving means leaving, especially in those situations which are obviously not God’s will for us.

We need to make our hearts sacred like Jesus’. St. Josemaria Escriva advices us not to fall into the temptation of having a weak heart for example, one who “carries his heart in his hands.” (The Way n. 146).  We should always remember that our human hearts, unlike Christ’s heart, are less than perfect. The heart is a traitor. We need to detach our hearts from so many human attachments, (The Way, n. 150). Apostolic souls, should always remember, as St. Josemaria Escriva states, “that for Christ alone is that other feeling which the Lord has placed in our hearts.” It is necessary that we lock our hearts with seven locks. (The Way, n. 161).  “If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee! Your poor heart, that's what scandalizes you! Press it, squeeze it tight in your hands: give it no consolations. And when it asks for them, say to it slowly and with a noble compassion — in confidence, as it were: 'Heart, heart on the Cross, heart on the Cross!” (The Way, n. 163) We need to urgently work on our hearts. This most times involves the help of an expert (a Spiritual Director) to work on our hearts:   You write: 'Father, I have a... toothache in my heart'. — I won't laugh, because I realize that you need a good dentist to do a few 'extractions' for you. If only you were willing!...(The Way, n. 166).

Needless to say, The Episcopal Coat of Arms of Our Bishop, i.e Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba which also serves as the Coat of Arms of our Diocese: The Diocese of Nakuru, there is in it the image of a sacred heart. Our Bishop himself devoted to the Sacred Heart has always recommended it to the faithful in the diocese.

Always after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the following day, which is normally a Saturday, we have the Optional Memoria of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The heart pierced by a sword.  (This year however, it shall not be so, because on Saturday we have the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul). These two hearts (the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary) are so united that they are always celebrated together.

May God make our hearts holy like the Sacred heart and pure like the Immaculate Heart.

May we always remember, as St. Josemaria reminds us, to “put our hearts aside. Duty comes first. But, when fulfilling our duties, to put our hearts into it. ” (The Way, n. 162) Remembering always, that the heart's weaknesses need be no obstacle for a determined soul, for a soul in love. (The Way, n. 164).

(The author is parochial Vicar: St. Veronica, Keringet Parish; Catholic Diocese of Nakuru.)

Email: casmirthomas28@gmail.com