
The Sacred Heart: A Symbol of Divine and Human Love.
by Fr. John Granato | 01/19/2025 | Words from Fr. JohnMy Dear Friends,
Chapter Three of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the Sacred Heart begins with understanding the veneration, adoration, and worship of the Person of Jesus Christ, which can be found in the image of the heart. The heart is truly a symbol of friendship, love, and affection. Pope Francis writes, “Indeed, throughout history and in different parts of the world, it has become a symbol of personal intimacy, affection, emotional attachment, and capacity for love…When two persons fall in love and draw close to one another, their hearts beat faster; when we are abandoned or deceived by someone we love, our hearts sink. So, too, when we want to say something deeply personal, we often say we are speaking ‘from the heart’. The language of poetry reflects the power of these experiences.” (Paragraph 53)
The image of the Sacred Heart is both a divine and a human reality. It shows the depth of God’s love for us as He invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. It is also the reality of the Incarnation, God wanting to be close to us that He entered into His creation and took on human flesh. The image or statue of the Sacred Heart, then, leads us into and moves us beyond that image to encounter and experience the Living God. Pope Francis continues that from the heart also comes hatred, indifference, and selfishness. But “we cannot attain our fulfillment as human beings unless we open our hearts to others; only through love do we become fully ourselves. The deepest part of us, created for love, will fulfill God’s plan only if we learn to love. And the heart is the symbol of that love.” (Paragraph 59)
In the first half of this chapter, Pope Francis reaches into history and gives us quotes from many important saints and popes. He quotes from St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, St. John Damascene, St. John of the Cross, and Popes Pius VI, Leo XIII, Pius XII, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
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