On this feast day of the Sacred Heart, I invite you to listen to the advice of the great St. Ignatius Loyola, who encouraged his followers to frequently use their imaginations during prayer and to place themselves in the time of Jesus, using their sight, hearing, and all their physical senses.
Today, we might use our imaginations to undergo a heart transplant by replacing our hearts with the heart of Jesus. What would a day be like if we walked around with his heart beating in our chests? What changes could we envision in light of our daily routines and encounters with others?
Would we invite someone to our table who had just hurt us, as Jesus did when he invited Peter to breakfast along the shore after Peter's betrayal? Could we be patient with an annoying person who demands more of our time when it is inconvenient, as Jesus was with the crowds who sought only to be cured or fed? Could we respond with humility rather than frustration, as Jesus exhorted his apostles to seek lives of humble service instead of attaining worldly power?
Because of our frail humanity, we constantly make the mistake of using human love as a barometer for measuring perfect love. Unlike our human hearts, which change from time to time, divine love never does.
Human love often depends on how well others perform according to our expectations. Reciprocity is usually the test we use to determine our responses: What have you done for me lately?
If we take a deep look at Jesus' life, we are overwhelmed by his generosity of spirit, even as he hung on the cross in agony and forgave his persecutors. When we are hurt, however, we often turn to revenge, silence, or isolation.
Even though we are imperfect creatures, God never ceases to love us. What a consolation it is to know that we never lose his love, even though we may reject him, spurn him, ignore him, or disobey him. He does not change.
God sent his Son specifically to demonstrate what perfect love looks like. Our challenge, then, is to strive to be more constant in our daily efforts to imitate the heart of Jesus.
St. John, in today's readings, makes it very clear that we can know for certain that God's love remains in us if we love and care for one another. Then, at the end of our lives, we can say with St. Paul, "Christ lives in me."
– Sister Helen R. Boyd, OP
Sister Helen resides at Dominican Convent, where she serves on the Life Enrichment Committee, co-chairs the Mission Outreach Committee, and regularly shares reflections with the community.