My grandmother’s San Francisco home was a sanctuary of faith, adorned with the silent company of statues of the Virgin Mary and various saints. One image captivated my imagination above all others: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, positioned directly opposite the front door, right below the bell chimes that rang whenever a visitor came. The Sacred Heart remained ever-present as grandchildren gathered each year for the holidays, or as my grandmother entertained everyone in the dining room with her stories and infectious laughter. Guided by her unwavering devotion to the Sacred Heart, my grandmother regularly brought me to First Friday devotions. These special moments became the foundation of my lifelong reverence for the heart of Jesus.
Years after my grandmother’s death, I continued to reel from the profound absence of my spiritual anchor. The image of the Sacred Heart from my grandmother’s entryway served as a compass, guiding me, and helping me remember cherished childhood memories with her. When I heard Pope Francis was releasing a letter on the Sacred Heart, I knew I had to read it.
Reading Dilexit Nos felt like a warm embrace, both by the Church and my grandmother, bringing to the forefront of my mind and heart the deep values she instilled in me and the faith she taught me to cherish. Building on these reflections, here are the three lessons Pope Francis taught me about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the image that dominated the hallway of my childhood.
READ: A Guide to the Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Sacred Heart reveals Jesus’ boundless love
First, it is more than a heart. Throughout human history, the heart has signified the center of our thoughts, emotions, and identity. To worship the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not to worship an organ. In his exposed heart, we see his complete divinity and humanity. We encounter the paradox of a man who laughed with his friends, wept at the death of Lazarus, and shared the raw human emotions we all face, who at the same time is the divine Savior, crowned with thorns, a blazing fire, and a cross that serves as a throne. The Sacred Heart shows us human love and divine love are inseparable
The Sacred Heart is both human and divine
The second idea Pope Francis teaches is that human love and divine love are inseparable. On the Cross, Jesus truly died. Proof of that death was when his Sacred Heart was pierced. This wounded heart revealed an amazing gift, a fountain of mercy signifying the birth of the Church. Water flowed from his wounded heart to symbolize baptism. Blood gushed, foreshadowing the Eucharist. Blood and water revealed the sacramental life of the Church. The Sacred Heart is the love I experience as I dip my finger into the baptismal font, reminding myself of my baptism, and it is the love I consume every Sunday in the Eucharist. This is a human and divine love that has loved me completely.
The Sacred Heart compels us to serve
A third lesson is that the Sacred Heart of Jesus makes us more aware of the need to serve others. Pope Francis says, “In contemplating the pierced heart of the Lord … we too are inspired to be more attentive to the sufferings and needs of others … ” (171). Devotion to the Sacred Heart cannot remain only a private, pious practice. It must be a call to action. Pope Francis continues, “As we contemplate the Sacred Heart, mission becomes a matter of love. For the greatest danger in mission is that, amid all the things we say and do, we fail to bring about a joyful encounter with the love of Christ who embraces us and saves us” (208). As disciples, we do good work, filled with love for Jesus and a desire to give witness to that love to every person we serve. This service is consoling the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through what Pope Francis describes as reparation. Reparation is the social and concrete actions toward justice, charity, and the restoration of broken relationships. If we work toward this goal, we welcome reconciliation and peace and offer the “world the flames of his ardent and gracious love” (200).
RELATED: 10 Ways to Serve Others When You Have Young Kids
With all this said, I recognize the reality of my current season in life. As a parent in the beautiful daily grind of raising young children, stepping away from family life to immerse oneself in a week-long international service project may not be feasible. Yet, there is still an opportunity for me to serve others, which begins with a shift in perspective: committing to grow in empathy and to educate myself on the complex social justice issues we face. Perhaps it starts with my sons, teaching them to donate clothes and canned goods to the local St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Sacred Heart of Jesus beats for every person in need who seeks a better life. If the Sacred Heart is committed to loving the poor, then I am called to imitate that same loving commitment toward my children.
Tomorrow, the U.S. bishops plan to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in honor of the United States’ 250th birthday. My grandmother’s steadfast faith has made me a committed Christian, and Dilexit Nos has rekindled that same faith, reminding me that we are ultimately called to make our hearts a throne for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, realigning our desires in the burning love of our Lord’s heart. Such alignment shifts us from isolation to a life filled with authentic love, compassion, and Christian community. Live, Jesus, in our hearts forever!
