Our Pastor's Reflection

Why Do We Honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

During the month of June, the Church directs our attention in a special way to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Many Catholics are familiar with the image of the Sacred Heart, but it is worth asking: why does the Church give such importance to the Heart of Christ?

In the language of Sacred Scripture, the heart means much more than emotions. It is the center of the person, the place where decisions are made, where thoughts, desires, and love originate. Therefore, when the Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are not venerating merely a physical organ. Rather, we honor the entire Person of Christ and His saving love for humanity. The Heart of Jesus is the visible sign of God's invisible love.

The greatest revelation of that love is found on the Cross. St. John tells us that after Jesus died, a soldier pierced His side with a lance, and immediately blood and water flowed out. The Fathers of the Church saw in this event the birth of the Church and the source of the sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist. The pierced Heart of Christ became the enduring symbol of a love without limits, a love willing to give everything for our salvation.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart developed especially after the revelations received by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the seventeenth century. Jesus showed her His Heart surrounded by thorns and asked for reparation for the indifference and lack of love shown by many people. This devotion is not meant to inspire fear or guilt, but rather to remind us that God desires a response to His love. Love naturally seeks to be returned.

For this reason, devotion to the Sacred Heart is far more than a beautiful religious tradition. It is a school of Christian life. It teaches us to trust in God's love, to respond through prayer and the sacraments, and to shape our hearts according to the Heart of Christ. We honor the Sacred Heart not because it symbolizes suffering, but because it reveals a love stronger than sin, unfaithfulness, and even death.

In a world that often celebrates success, power, and self-sufficiency, the Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds us of the most important truth of our faith: at the beginning of everything stands a God who loved us first. During this month of June, we gather for devotions in honor of the Sacred Heart, asking that our hearts may become more like His Heart, filled with love, mercy, and fidelity.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, make our hearts like unto Thine.