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The Feast of the Sacred Heart (properly the
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) is a solemnity in the liturgical
calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. It falls 19 days after Pentecost, on a
Friday. The earliest possible date is 29 May, as in 1818 and 2285. The latest
possible date is 2 July, as in 1943 and 2038.
Though devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be
clearly traced back at least to the 11th Century where it marked the
spirituality of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, it spread throughout the world
after the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-90). In one of the
visions, Christ asked St. Margaret to request that the feast be celebrated on
the Friday after the Octave of the feast of Corpus Christi.
What does the Feast of the Sacred Heart mean today?
First the heart is a symbol of the person and so the Sacred Heart of Jesus
represents the whole Christ who is and will always be unconditional and eternal
love. This love of Christ is given freely, without reservation and measure to
all who open themselves to receive it. Second, the feast reminds us of the constant
care and concern that God has even now for each one of us and the whole
Universe. By celebrating the feast we make present the self sacrifice of Jesus
for all humankind. Our God is a God ‘with us and for us’. God is Emmanuel.
Third, the feast of the Sacred Heart reminds us of the intimate connection
between the Sacrament of the Eucharist and devotion to the Sacred Heart. Just
as in the Eucharist we receive the real, whole and risen Christ, so in the
devotion that we profess to the Sacred Heart we relive this encounter.
The feast is thus not only a privilege and grace,
but also carries with it a responsibility. First, the love that we receive from
the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a private possession, but one that must be
shared with all. Just as the Father makes no distinction and makes the sun rise
on the evil and on the good (Mt 5:45), so must we in our sharing of the love of
Christ. Second, the concern that God has for us and our Universe must be a
concern which we must show to our world. The wanton destruction of nature,
excessive and abusive use of scarce resources like water, indiscriminate
cutting of trees for selfish gain, unlawful and criminal killing of wild
animals are signs that we are working against God’s concern. If God cares for
us so much, must we not care for our world? Third, the intimate connection of
the Sacred Heart and Eucharist reminds us that just as Christ is so easily
available to us, we must also be to each other. The Eucharist and the feast of
the Sacred Heart ought not to be private and passive devotions, but
celebrations that make us ready to reach out in service and availability to
anyone who needs us.
Happy Feast,n
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