By Fr. Antony Christy, SDB –
One of the striking elements of the image of the Sacred Heart is the flame that accompanies it. That is the only thing that this naive generation has left out, from the Sacred Heart, when they adapted its symbol to indicate the love between two persons! The heart with an arrow piercing it…you have seen it for sure, haven’t you!
But this flame is a special symbol of the Heart of Jesus and it has three significant messages and challenges to give us – about what we understand by true love:
1. Sacrificing: the flame establishes that the sacred heart is a sacrificing heart, not an expecting heart! The flame burns and it consumes the heart…the love that Jesus has for us consumes Jesus…the sacrifice on the Cross, the giving of Jesus’ body and blood – even the last drop of blood and water, as the Gospel reminds us today. These are all clearly evidences of this quality of the heart of Jesus, which burns itself in love for us. It gives of itself and never expects anything in return! How sacrificing is my love?
2. Seeking: the flame is also characteristically something that seeks to reach out. Look at a fire as it burns will it remain in just one spot and be satisfied? No. It seeks. Jesus seeks, seeks to reach out to us, seeks to warm our hearts, seeks to enlighten our paths, seeks to ease our troubles, seeks to meet our needs as a father or a mother seeks to do to their children. Prophet Hosea presents this scene so vividly in his poem…as the Lord expressing how much the Lord seeks to care for us and how insensitive we turn. A love that seeks us for our good. A love that goes in search of the one who is loved for the good of the other! It is not a ego-filled, self seeking, fulfillment of one’s own cravings. How selfless is my love?
3. Shining: the flame is radiant. It shines forth, it shines to invite us to follow the model. St. Paul portrays this quality so well when he says in Jesus what has been hidden for centuries has come to light – the love of God can no more be hidden from humanity. It is revealed and revealed to its full. The shining flame is an open challenge – can you be like me, can you love like me, can you care for the others like me, can you be sacrificing like me, can you seek to serve others, can you be affire as I am, passionate about filling this world with true love and make it a better place, a heaven on earth, the Reign of God here and now!
Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for me
Inflame my heart, inflame my heart with love for thee!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.