The Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
I have been at St. Paul’s Church for three weeks now, and what an amazing experience it has been! I have learned so much already, and met so many people—my head is spinning! In just a few weeks, I have done and seen more than I could have ever expected. I wish I could tell it all, but I would not have time to do the work of the Lord if I did so! I will share what I can…
Since Friday and Saturday were the celebrations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I thought it would be most appropriate to write about some of my experiences in light of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Being at a parish, I anticipated having the opportunity to meet many Catholic families. I have been impressed many times, because it is evident that these faithful families are bound by a love which is genuine and devoted. They on several occasions have shared their faith experiences with me, and their stories are all very beautiful and inspiring. How I wish I could share them all with you! What I can share is that Christ is surely in the midst of these families because they have given their hearts to one another, that is, their genuine love and devotion. Each faithful family I have met has been a clear image of the love of Christ and His Mother. Recall how Mary stood by Christ’s side even at His death. That is the love which I have seen reflected in the parents and children of these families—and I believe it is this profound love which unites them and sustains them. God bless them for their genuine love—what an image of God’s love for us!
Of course, an image is never perfectly like a real person; and so, we must admit that sometimes we have failed to love our family members as Christ loves them. I admit that sometimes I have failed to love my family as I should, and I think we all have on occasion failed to love our families as we should. That is why I titled this post: “Hearts Unlike Our Own.” Christ’s Sacred Heart and the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Heart are very different from our own. They have never failed to love one another in a familial way, but neither have they failed to love others as if they were family. The love of their Hearts envelope all people with no preference or partiality, save those who love them in return. “And stretching out His hand towards His disciples He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50). It is clear, then, that the Christian mission is to love all as if they were our family—indeed, they are our family. This is obviously not easy, because we all know how much easier it is to love those who love us. Nevertheless, let us start by loving our families as we should, and then love those outside of our families in the same way. After all, it is the love we give that we receive!
Christ’s Heart and Mary’s Heart are different from ours because they love us as if we were their children, their “brother and sister and mother.” However, Christ has a higher love for His true brothers and sisters because they do the will of God the Father. He loves His true brothers and sisters because they love Him as brother and as Son of the Father. That is why He said: “Here are my mother and my brothers.” He prefers those who love Him to those who do not. This does not mean He does not love all; but that He desires all to love Him and to love one another (He cannot force us to love). “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 13:12). When we fail to love, we reject Christ’s love for us, and so we reject our brotherhood with Him. Truly, we break His Heart because we have broken the bond of love between us and Him.
I have seen this profound, heartfelt love here in the community of St. Paul’s Church. The families I have met who love one another in a devoted way, beyond weakness and partiality, are the same families who love others in the same way. The familial love strengthens the love of those outside the family! I hope I have expressed my point. May you and I open our hearts today, not just to receive the love of friends, but to share our love with strangers. And what a perfect day to love, on Father’s Day! Let us love as the Father loves us. We were once strangers to Christ, but He loved us anyway and now considers us as faithful disciples: His brother and sister. Amen.
Since Friday and Saturday were the celebrations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I thought it would be most appropriate to write about some of my experiences in light of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Being at a parish, I anticipated having the opportunity to meet many Catholic families. I have been impressed many times, because it is evident that these faithful families are bound by a love which is genuine and devoted. They on several occasions have shared their faith experiences with me, and their stories are all very beautiful and inspiring. How I wish I could share them all with you! What I can share is that Christ is surely in the midst of these families because they have given their hearts to one another, that is, their genuine love and devotion. Each faithful family I have met has been a clear image of the love of Christ and His Mother. Recall how Mary stood by Christ’s side even at His death. That is the love which I have seen reflected in the parents and children of these families—and I believe it is this profound love which unites them and sustains them. God bless them for their genuine love—what an image of God’s love for us!
Of course, an image is never perfectly like a real person; and so, we must admit that sometimes we have failed to love our family members as Christ loves them. I admit that sometimes I have failed to love my family as I should, and I think we all have on occasion failed to love our families as we should. That is why I titled this post: “Hearts Unlike Our Own.” Christ’s Sacred Heart and the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Heart are very different from our own. They have never failed to love one another in a familial way, but neither have they failed to love others as if they were family. The love of their Hearts envelope all people with no preference or partiality, save those who love them in return. “And stretching out His hand towards His disciples He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50). It is clear, then, that the Christian mission is to love all as if they were our family—indeed, they are our family. This is obviously not easy, because we all know how much easier it is to love those who love us. Nevertheless, let us start by loving our families as we should, and then love those outside of our families in the same way. After all, it is the love we give that we receive!
Christ’s Heart and Mary’s Heart are different from ours because they love us as if we were their children, their “brother and sister and mother.” However, Christ has a higher love for His true brothers and sisters because they do the will of God the Father. He loves His true brothers and sisters because they love Him as brother and as Son of the Father. That is why He said: “Here are my mother and my brothers.” He prefers those who love Him to those who do not. This does not mean He does not love all; but that He desires all to love Him and to love one another (He cannot force us to love). “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 13:12). When we fail to love, we reject Christ’s love for us, and so we reject our brotherhood with Him. Truly, we break His Heart because we have broken the bond of love between us and Him.
I have seen this profound, heartfelt love here in the community of St. Paul’s Church. The families I have met who love one another in a devoted way, beyond weakness and partiality, are the same families who love others in the same way. The familial love strengthens the love of those outside the family! I hope I have expressed my point. May you and I open our hearts today, not just to receive the love of friends, but to share our love with strangers. And what a perfect day to love, on Father’s Day! Let us love as the Father loves us. We were once strangers to Christ, but He loved us anyway and now considers us as faithful disciples: His brother and sister. Amen.
