By Fr Joseph Francis –
I would like to begin by pointing out a few things that could help us meditate on this theme of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The symbolism of the “heart’ in the Old Testament
The “heart” in the Bible is a symbol—the devotion to the Sacred Heart is also a symbol. Therefore one must understand clearly to what the symbol points. Obviously and primarily it is NOT the physical heart as an organ. It is the person, attitudes, the emotions, the intimacy, and the love…
Here below are some texts as a taste for you. It is not exhaustive!
1) The heart stands for the whole of the person with all his feelings and emotions e.g. Gen 43.30 (Joseph’s heart yearned for his brothers when he met them in Egypt and could not as yet reveal himself to them) I Sam 2.1 (Hannah: my heart exults in the Lord for he has listened to my prayers and gave me a son and removed the title of ‘barren’).
2) The heart stands for the inner sentiments and attitudes compared to the exterior e.g. I Sam 16.7 (The Lord sees the heart and not the external appearance. Samuel at Jesse’s house); I Kg 8.39 (Solomon’s prayer at the dedication: God, you see the heart…); Ps 139.29 (search me, you know my heart: have I done anything wrong?)
3) Heart is considered as the place where lasting memories are stored e.g. Lk 2.19 + 51 (Mary kept pondering in her heart…) 8.12 + 15 (parable of the Sower where the Word sowed in the heart is removed); Acts 16.4 (Lydia pondering the words of Paul in her heart).
4) The heart is a symbol of care, concern, interests, thoughts e.g. Jer 15.1 (my heart will not turn to these people); 3.15 (in future I will give them shepherds after my own heart who will feed them with knowledge and understanding); Mt 6.21 (Where your treasure is, there is your heart…).
5) The heart is a symbol of devotedness, fidelity e.g. Deut 4.29 “You will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul” 6.5 “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Jer 31.33 “… a new law written upon their heart” Ps 51.10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God”
6) The heart is the centre of moral decisions e.g. Mt 5.28 (condemnation of adultery committed in the heart); Mt 15.19 (Mk 7.21) out of the heart comes…; Eph 3.17 May Christ dwell in your heart; Deut 11.16 Take heed lest your heart be deceived… to go to other gods; Gen 6.5 wickedness in men’s hearts in the time of Noah; Ps 14.1 the fool says in his heart there is no God; Jer 2.12-13 turn to me with all your heart… rend your heart not your garments.
7) The heart stands for warmth of feeling, intimacy & responsiveness e.g. Ez 11.19; 36.26 God says that he would remove the stony heart and give them instead a heart of flesh; 18.31 new heart and new spirit; Zech 7.12 will change the adamant heart; Hos 11.8 my heart recoils from it; how can I do it? (how can I reject my ownpeople?)
From the above examples and many others you could easily understand that we can definitely speak about God’s heart. It was obvious for the O.T Jews because they did consider God as a Living God, a Living Person.
When we speak about the Sacred Heart of Jesus what do we mean?
- What we celebrate primarily is the human personality of Jesus: his thoughts, attitudes, feelings or sentiments, desires, decisions, fidelity, loyalty kindness, compassion, gentleness and in one word his HUMAN LOVE (cf. the Gospels for the examples).
- It has dual dimension: turned towards the Father and turned towards us, his brethren. This is what he is at his very core as the Son (Logos) who is from-the-Father-to-the-Father. This is why Vat II mentions that Jesus is the perfect manifestation of what it means to be human (cf. G.S 22) [N.D 668]; cf. also Redemptor Hominis of John Paul II [N.D 677-679 esp. 678]. A genuine human being is one who realizes he is from God and to God with the brethren and who lives this realization.
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the concrete manifestation of God the Father’s love for us. All that Jesus said and did showed this clearly. It was in him the Father was well pleased (cf. Baptism and Transfiguration). It was also the manifestation of the Love of God the Holy Spirit who is LOVE itself. In all the signs that Jesus worked, this love can be seen.
- In the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Father’s love and the Spirit’s love for us is further shown. The Risen Lord is still alive and with us. Through all the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, the heart of Jesus is manifested since he is with us till the end of time. He is our Lord, friend and above all our elder brother.
- The heart of Jesus is an open invitation to all his brothers and sisters to love the Father and the Holy Spirit as he did. He is humble and meek of heart, obedient to the Father in love i.e. in the Holy Spirit. The meaning of ‘meekness of heart’: it means a readiness to accept all the crosses that come in one’s human life and not to protest against God’s wisdom. Humility means truthfulness: it is to accept our human condition for what it is and not pretend to be a god. We are only creatures and we have our faults and failures or at least our imperfections!
- The heart of Jesus as one who is meek and humble of heart invites his brothers and sisters to love one another, bear with one another, forgive one another and serve one another.
- The wounded, broken heart, crowned with thorns and the cross which is normally pictured, is the symbol of what his fellow human beings, his brothers and sisters have done and do to him even now. It affected him already at the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross (“time” is relative and so an anticipation is understandable).
- The representation of the burning heart is the symbol of zeal and strong eager love of Jesus for the Father and for us.
- The response expected of us: to be like him i.e. loving God and loving one another in sincerity, humility, and meekness.
- Finally, we are not to forget that all adoration given to the heart of Jesus is ultimately to His Person which is God the Son, the Word (the Logos).