I didn’t go looking for the Sacred Heart; the Sacred Heart found me. My mom always had a statue of both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary that had a special place in the home while I was growing up. In addition, I grew up about five minutes away from a church named the Sacred Heart. Even as a child, something about the name and the image itself captivated me. In fact, I remember saying to my mom, “That would be the church that I would go to because what better place to be than in the Sacred Heart?” My mom just smiled in response, most likely understanding my strong desire to be safely tucked within the Sacred Heart of Jesus even from that young age.

What is the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

The Sacred Heart of Jesus has several important symbols:

• Heart: Usually, the heart is red, and just as hearts always become popular around Valentine’s Day to show love to one another, God shows His love for us through the image of His heart.
•  Flames: The flames show just how much God loves us. His Sacred Heart is on fire for each of us.
•  Cross: The cross is usually found near or even in the flames because this is where Jesus gave His life for us.
• Thorns: The thorns represent the Crown of Thorns that Jesus wore during the Passion. The spikes of the thorns pierce His heart in the same way that our sins do.
•  Wound: There is often a wound on the Sacred Heart, representing when Jesus’ side was thrust by a lance while He hung on the cross.

Individually and collectively, each of these symbols represents God’s love for us. Since we, as humans, seek to be loved, the Sacred Heart is one powerful way that God can reach us.

The Saint Behind the Sacred Heart of Jesus

As I grew, my curiosity about this devotion grew, too, and I set out to learn more about His Most Sacred Heart that has delighted mine.

I first learned that it was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that shared this devotion with the world. It’s thanks to her that we know about the importance of attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion on First Fridays, particularly for nine consecutive months, the beauty of a Holy Hour, and of course, the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that occurs on the third Friday after Pentecost.

In addition to spreading these devotions, St. Margaret Mary also shared the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart. These promises can be divided into gifts that we receive both during our lives here on earth and then at the time of death. When I first discovered these, I remember reading them and rereading them, pondering how together, they show God’s unquenchable love for us.

Sharing in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

One of my favorite ways to recall all of the blessings that Jesus gives us through His Most Sacred Heart is through a prayer called the Litany of the Sacred Heart. When I pray it in its entirety, I see many ways how God shows His love for us, but what I often find myself doing is meditating on certain lines depending on the season of the Church year. For example, during the Easter season, I like to meditate on this line:

“Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.”

Also, on Divine Mercy Sunday and on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I prayerfully consider these lines:

“Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you, have mercy on us.”
“Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy, have mercy on us.”

On both the Feast of All Saints and on the saints to whom I have a special devotion, I focus on this line:

“Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, have mercy on us.”

This particular Litany describes so many attributes of Christ that, by meditating on each of them, we get a fuller picture as to who God is and how His love affects us.

Once we accept God’s love, it’s impossible to keep it to ourselves. One of the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart is that “Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.” There are many practical ways to share this devotion, such as inviting a friend to attend a First Friday Mass or to attend a Holy Hour. In addition, missionary work provides the opportunity to introduce others to God’s love in both word and in deed.  

We also share in the Sacred Heart in a real way when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. At various times during the Church’s history, scientists have analyzed consecrated hosts, such as the fifth miracle discussed here, and found that the consecrated host in question contains heart tissue. I often ponder miracles such as these when spending time with Jesus in Adoration, which in of itself is a “heart-to-heart” that I always cherish.

My Life with the Sacred Heart

Fast forward about thirty years and a few hundred miles from admiring the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary statues as a child, and I was joining a parish called The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. A few years later, I became a consecrated virgin, a Bride of Christ, in this same beautiful cathedral.

To paraphrase a quotation from St. John Paul II, which has become one of my long-standing prayers, “Jesus, life with You is such an adventure!” Being safely tucked in His Sacred Heart has made this adventure more than my heart could have ever dreamed.

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-white-dress-holding-gold-mask-BJlO1Jt8sdQ