Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus( Lk. 15:3-7) “Lead with the Heart”
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus( Lk. 15:3-7) “Lead with the Heart”
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is something that has been popular in the church from the beginnings of church history. The heart, in ancient times, was considered the place where feelings originated. The heart was also the organ that determined if a person lived or died. If the heart stopped beating life was over. The importance of the heart was understood very clearly.
When someone expresses emotions, we quite often say that they are heartfelt. When someone is in sorrow, we say that the person’s heart is broken. If someone has a big heart it means they are ready to help anyone with anything.
Jesus was known to be bighearted. He was known for his compassion. Because of this, devotion to the Sacred Heart has often been a popular devotion in the church.
Just as the good shepherd is a symbol of Jesus’ care for each person, his Sacred Heart is a symbol of his compassion for every person. We should be struck by the fact that when we see pictures of Jesus or when we Jesus depicted in a statue he is always pointing to his heart. He is never pointing to his head. When Jesus acts, he is led by his heart.
If we study church history, we find that at times the church has been very legalistic and rigid. We also see that at various points in church history the church has emphasized the judgement of God rather than God’s mercy. When this happens, people are often driven to despair about their own salvation.
Significantly enough, these are the times when devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has grown a lot. When our parish was built, the church was going through a period when fire and brimstone sermons were common. Fear of God was used to influence people. Perhaps that is why Fr. Culemans chose the name Sacred Heart for the parish he was starting. He wanted this parish to be known as a place where the compassion of Jesus reigned. May we feel the unconditional love of Jesus this day and rejoice in it always.
Reflection Questions:
- Have the sermons I have heard in my life been more about the judgement or compassion of Jesus? Which Jesus do I know?
- When did I first encounter the figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does it mean to me?
Dear Parishioners,
We have a couple of special programs that will be happening in the next few weeks that will be an opportunity for renewal in our Catholic community. This weekend a Teens Encounter Christ weekend is happening. This youth program has touched many of our young people. Please pray for the youths who are coordinating or attending this weekend. Hopefully, the spirit will touch many lives.
Cursillo is a renewal program for adults. A women’s Cursillo weekend will be taking place the 7th through the 11th of July at the Believer’s Together Center in Moline. I am on the team for the weekend. I would encourage any woman who is interested to participate. For more information look in our parish bulletin or call Denise Maynard at 309-236-7558.
May our Lady of Peace bring peace to our troubled world today.
Fr. Mark