Life in Jesus: The Sacred Heart of Jesus

One of the popular titles we give Jesus is the “Sacred Heart.” Why do we identify Jesus with this part of the body? For most people, the heart is a symbol of love, as when they say to their loved one, “Sweetheart!” Valentine’s Day, the day of lovers, is symbolized in greeting cards and decorations in business establishments with a heart.

In the Bible, the heart is considered the center of a person. The heart, therefore, can stand for the whole person. Jesus himself used the symbol of the heart for himself: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).

In the Catholic Church, reference to Jesus as the “Sacred Heart” has a long tradition. Already in the 13th and 14th centuries, Saint Bonaventure and Saint Gertrude wrote about devotion to Jesus in this symbol. In the 17th century, a French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had a vision of Jesus showing his wounded heart and saying, “Behold, this Heart burning with so great a love for men.”

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a meaningful symbol of how much God loves us! Let us be deeply convinced of God’s mysterious and great love for us. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son... (Jn 3:16). And, Jesus loved us till the very end, dying for us! You and I don’t deserve this love of God, but it’s the truth: “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

This love of God is the foundation of our life in Jesus! Never, never doubt this! When you feel weighed down by your sins, when you feel depressed, when you feel a failure in life, when you’re stigmatized by people around you, just go to Jesus. He does not reject you. He knows you thoroughly. Set your gaze on his Sacred Heart, the powerful symbol of God’s mysterious love for sinners like you and I!

“Come to me... for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”