Sacred Heart of Jesus

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The Catholic Church dedicates June to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that according to some sources can be traced back as far as the second century. Most Catholics are familiar with the image associated with this devotion; it shows Christ pointing to his heart, which is wrapped in thorns, topped with fire and a cross.

The devotion developed gradually over the centuries. The foundation was the many scriptural references to God’s love. Then, in the 13th century, Saint Gertrude the Great had private revelations regarding the Sacred Heart. Four hundred years later, Jesus also revealed himself to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, telling her about his love for all people. 

“My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity, and with you in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you,” is one of the things he said to the French saint.

He also told her that he wanted an annual feast in honor of his Sacred Heart. It took yet another 200 years, but in 1856 Blessed Pope Pius IX designated that the Feast of the Sacred Heart would be celebrated universally on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave each year.

This year the solemnity falls on June 27, and in preparation for that I’ve begun gathering some material for reflection. My starting point was the symbology of the Sacred Heart image. The thorns “signified the pricks our sins caused him,” according to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

The cross on tope “signified that, from the first moment of his incarnation, that is, from the time this Sacred Heart was formed, the cross was planted in it; that it was filled, from the very first moment, with all the bitterness, humiliations, poverty, sorrow and contempt his sacred humanity would have to suffer during the whole course of his life and during his holy Passion,” St. Margaret Mary wrote.

Yes, I by sinning have caused My Lord grief, but the there is hope; as St. Gertrude the Great said, “O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, your heart is a glowing furnace of love.”

Many popes have written about the Sacred Heart. The document that most interests me at the moment is Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Dilexit Nos (On The Human And Divine Love Of The Heart Of Jesus Christ), which was written last year. I chose this to start with for two reasons: It gives a good historical and theological background to the Sacred Heart devotion; and I always find Pope Francis’ writings accessible and exceedingly inspirational.

I haven’t had much time to delve into the letter, but the taste that I have had makes me eager for more.

For example, Pope Francis writes, “It might appear to some that this aspect of devotion to the Sacred Heart lacks a firm theological basis, yet the heart has its reasons. Here the sensus fidelium perceives something mysterious, beyond our human logic, and realizes that the passion of Christ is not merely an event of the past, but one in which we can share through faith. Meditation on Christ’s self-offering on the cross involves, for Christian piety, something much more than mere remembrance. This conviction has a solid theological grounding. We can also add the recognition of our own sins, which Jesus took upon his bruised shoulders, and our inadequacy in the face of that timeless love, which is always infinitely greater.”

That focus on Christ’s boundless love for me, despite my sins, is something I need right now, and I’m looking forward to reflecting upon it.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.