Jesus and His Sacred Heart

The seventh of June is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, hence, this whole month has traditionally been devoted to that beautiful image of Christ’s love for us and for all people.

Many of you know that I am rarely at a loss in answering questions about our Catholic faith. Thus, it was quite a surprise for me when my spiritual director some years ago asked me: "What does God look like when you pray?"

My puzzled reply was: "Well, God looks like, you know, God."

"No," said the wise priest, "If you are going to have a personal relationship in prayer, you must be able to see the face of the one you are talking to."

This made great sense. And, after some consideration, I realized that the image of God that has been most prominent in my life was that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As a senior in high school, I attended a retreat at Manresa, outside Detroit, where we were presented with a contemporary image of Jesus and His Sacred Heart. I attended as a student and later became rector of Sacred Heart Seminary. I was ordained at Sacred Heart Church in Dearborn. At my first parish in Union Lake, there was a six-foot statue of the Sacred Heart in the back of the church. These signs were all around me - so evident for me to know that this was God’s revelation of who He wanted to be for me.

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: "I am meek and humble of heart... my yoke is easy and my burden light." (Mt. 11: 29-30). In St. John’s Gospel, the piercing of Jesus’ side while he hung on the Cross makes His pierced Heart the symbol of His Paschal Mystery.

Pope Pius XII wrote: "The Heart of Jesus is the Heart of a Divine Person, that is, of the Word Incarnate, and continues to put before our eyes all the love that He had and continues to have for us. For this reason, the cult of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus must be held in such high esteem as to be considered as the most complete expression of the Christian religion."

Pope John Paul II in Redemptor Homines defines the mystery of man in reference to the mystery of the Heart of Christ: "The redemption of the world . . . is, at its deepest root, the fullness of justice in a human Heart - the Heart of the First-born Son - in order that it may become justice in the hearts of many human beings . . . called to love." (No. 9)

Recently I read the reflections of a contemporary author who drew out of the traditional devotion to the Sacred Heart its relevance to theories of nonviolent resistance; i.e. encountering God’s presence in the embodied persons and events of our lives, God’s heart being the center where all paradoxes are held in tension, the heart of Christ as being humble and gentle.

I share all this with you because, to my mind, this is one of the richest devotions we have in the Church. Out of the 70 parishes I have already visited in this diocese, almost every one of them has an image of the Sacred Heart that is offered for inspiration and veneration. I urge that you reflect, study and pray over this most powerful of images. Ponder the love of His Heart in your own.

St. Mary Margaret Alacoque said, "It seems to me that our Lord’s earnest desire to have His Sacred Heart honored in a special way is directed toward the effects of redemption in our souls. For the Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to His good pleasure."

My fervent hope is that, like me, you might also come to see this rich image of Christ’s abundant love as the face you gaze upon when you turn to pray.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

(attributed to Bishop Tom Olmsted)
Most Sacred Heart,
Jesus my First Love,
Cherished Spouse of my life,
I desire to make you first:
first in my thoughts,
first in my affections,
first in my decisions.
For you, Lord Jesus, are
First and Last,
Alpha and Omega,
Beginning and End.
And you are worthy
of all my love. Amen

Falta Mucho por Recorrer

Por el obispo John C. Nienstedt

El 7 de junio es la fiesta del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y por consiguiente, todo el mes ha sido tradicionalmente consagrado a esa imagen hermosa del amor de Cristo por nosotros y por toda la gente.

Muchos saben que yo raramente no tengo respuestas a preguntas sobre nuestra fe católica. La pregunta que me hizo mi director espiritual hace algunos años fue realmente sorprendente: "¿Que aspecto tiene Dios cuando oras?"

Mi desconcertada respuesta fue: "Bien, Dios luce como Dios."

"No," dijo el sacerdote sabio, "Si vas a tener una conexión personal en oración, deberas ser capaz de ver la cara de la persona con quien estás hablando."

Su respuesta tenia sentido. Después de unas cuantas consideraciones, comprendí que la imagen de Dios habia sido la más notable en mi vida, el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.

Como estudiante del último grado de la escuela secundaria, asistí a una retiro en Manresa, una ciudad fuera de Detroit donde fuimos presentados con una imagen contemporánea de Jesús y Su Sagrado Corazón. Asistí como estudiante para que años mas tarde tomar el oficio de rector del Seminario El Sagrado Corazón. Me ordené en la Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón en Dearborn. En mi primera parroquia en Union Lake, había una estatua del Sagrado Corazón con seis pies de altura en la parte de atrás de la iglesia. Todas estas señales estaban alrededor mio - a tal grado evidente saber que era la revelación de Dios quien quizo ser para mi.

El Papa Juan Pablo II en Redemptor Homines define el misterio del hombre en referencia al misterio del Corazón de Cristo: "La redención del mundo. . . es, en su más arraigada profundidad, la llenura de justicia en un corazón humano - el corazón del Hijo Primogénito - para poder hacerse justicia en el corazon de muchos seres humanos. . . llamados para amar." (No. 9)

Comparto todo esto con ustedes porque, en mi mente, ésta es una de las devociones más abundantes que tenemos en la Iglesia. De las 70 parroquias que he visitado en esta Diócesis, la mayoria posee una imagen del Sagrado Corazón la cual se ofrece como inspiración y veneración. Yo insto que ustedes reflejen, estudien y oren sobre estas imágenes poderosas. Meditar en el amor de su corazón en el suyo.

Oración al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

(En tributo al Obispo Tom Olmsted)
Mi más Sagrado Tesoro
Jesús mi Primer Amor,
Divino compañero de mi vida,
Deseo que seas el primero:
primero en mis pensamientos,
primero en mis afecciones,
primero en mis decisiones.
Para usted, Señor Jesús, eres
El Primero y el Último,
El Alfa y la Omega,
El Comienzo y el Final
Y usted es digno
de todo mi amor. Amén

June 2002