“How’s your heart”? I bet we’ve all seen that commercial many times, for a device that takes your EKG in nanoseconds. The heart is also a revered symbol in scripture and spirituality. Shortly before he died, Pope Francis wrote an encyclical letter about it: Dilexit Nos. That translates as “he loved us,” (based on scriptures such as Romans 8:37-39). Its important subtitle is: On the Human and Divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ. Not surprisingly, the Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart is central to his encyclical.
Long ago Thomas Aquinas gave us theology that got shortened into the phrase, “grace builds on nature.” Aquinas taught that grace, God’s gift of special help for living our human lives, does not control or force us. Instead, it builds on what we are given by birth, adjusting itself to each person. We humans come in infinite sizes and shapes, each with specific emotional, cultural, intellectual components and other personality traits. So, it’s not surprising that some graced Catholics pray using devotions, and others do not. Pope Francis says that’s okay, okay if you are devotional and okay if you are not. Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he also reminds us that Catholics are not obligated to believe in private revelation. Both private revelations (think “Fatima”) and devotions (including the Sacred Heart) are meant to be helps and pathways to union with the Risen Christ, and to the Eucharist Liturgy which preeminently joins us with Him.
But not all devotions are equal, and Pope Francis recommends devotion to the Sacred Heart as especially important for us. As he explains why, we also see how he evaluates devotions; and knowing that may help us choose devotions which can better nourish our Catholic spirituality. Here are five reasons why Pope Francis recommends devotion to the Sacred Heart.
First, the heart is a strong symbol. The “heart” represents the entire person in his or her unique psychosomatic identity. In this devotion, the heart represents Jesus heart relating to the heart of the devout person. So in this devotion pulls our human hearts into intimacy with the Risen Lord, who still retains the true humanness (or “heart) of Jesus of Nazareth. (#21).
Second, this devotion bridges “… the gaps in theology by nourishing our hearts and imagination, our tender love for Christ, our hope and memory, our desires and feelings….” (#63) We Catholics have a deep and profound intellectual side to our faith through our centuries of theology, and that is good and important. But faith and our inner spiritual life needs more than intellectual ideas. It needs the inner conviction that we are personally seen and loved by the Lord, and that means we need the emotional content this Jesuit pope is talking about. That emotional support becomes especially important for us in “tough times” when, as we contemplate the wounded heart of Jesus, we understand that he is “the fellow sufferer who understands.” (A.N. Whitehead)
Third, this devotion corrects some imbalances or “less good” ideas that crept into our theology and spirituality (including devotions) over the centuries. God is merciful, not a grudge-holder or record keeper. In the 1800’s, Sacred Heart devotion counteracted those Jansenistic bad ideas about God. Pope Francis also corrects the idea of reparation for sin. The Jesus of scripture never exacted any arduous penance or quantities of prayer before he unconditionally forgave sin. The merciful and generous God of scripture just forgives. So Pope Francis re-orients the idea of reparation for sin away from individual sin to the ruptures that sin causes in the social order. In union with Christ, amid the ruins we have left in this world by our sins, we are called to build a new civilization of love. That is what it means to make reparation as the heart of Christ would have us do. Amid the devastation wrought by evil, the heart of Christ desires that we cooperate with him in restoring goodness and beauty to our world. (#182) That’s what our prayer about reparation for sin should be about.
Fourth, the world needs this devotion. Good devotions are relevant. Vatican II said that the Church must speak to the modern world. For Pope Francis, the modern world is without an ethical core (a “heart”) that Jesus would recognize, and is super individualistic instead of communitarian. The bond between devotion to the heart of Jesus and commitment to our brothers and sisters has been a constant in the history of Christian spirituality, Pp Francis says (#152). Commitment to others (“community”) needs to be a “constant” in any devotion.
Fifth and last, the scriptural basis for this devotion flows throughout this encyclical, especially scriptures where Jesus spoke about love. Vatican II established the principle that scripture must be the starting point and foundation of Catholic faith, theology and spirituality. For an example of how this scriptural principle gets applied, consider the First Friday custom associated with Sacred Heart devotion. It originated from the private revelations of St Margaret Mary Alacoque as a practice of praying prayers of reparation for sin. Today the stated purpose is of First Fridays is to “foster an active faith that leads to a correct commitment to the Gospel…” (Directory on Popular Piety, #171).
I’m not very devotional in my spiritual way of relating with God, and sometimes in the abstract world of theology, I can get too “heady.” It helps me that hanging above my prayer corner is a bas relief of the Sacred Heart. It shows Jesus’ with a bleeding heart, holding his hands open as though off ering his heart to us, and with a smile on his face. With that image in my mind, in passing moments I often say the final prayer of Jesus on the cross: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” I hope Pope Francis’ reflections about the Sacred Heart devotion may speak to your heart also.
Sister Mary Garascia, PhD (Theology), is a member of the Sisters of the Precious Blood of Dayton, Ohio, where she now resides. She lived and ministered at The Holy Name of Jesus in Redlands for several years. You can follow her weekly Sunday scripture blogs at PreciousBloodSistersDayton. org.