This past April when I was on pilgrimage in France we had the awesome opportunity to visit both Paray-le-Monial and Ars. It was in a humble chapel in Paray-le-Monial that St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received the vision of Jesus and His Sacred Heart. The next day we traveled to Ars and visited the Basilica and tomb of St. John Vianney. One of my favorite quotes of St. John Vianney, the patron of parish priests, is “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.” I couldn’t help but reflect on that intimate connection between these two saints and the great graces God gave each of them.
When our Lord began appearing to St. Margaret Mary in 1673, He revealed His Sacred Heart to her and began instructing her on what would become the devotion to His Sacred Heart. By coming to Mass and receiving the Eucharist on nine consecutive first Fridays, Jesus would grant certain promises to you. The goal of the devotion is to convert our own hearts into Jesus’ own Sacred Heart. What does the Sacred Heart of Jesus look like? We only need to look at Christ’s own actions in the Gospel. Jesus’ heart is one of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, service, joy, justice, and most importantly love (1 John 4:8).
St. John Vianney, knowing of this sacred devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, saw his own priesthood as participating in the very same attributes listed above. Priests are in persona Christi capitis (in the person of Christ the head), which means that when we celebrate any of the Sacraments we are Jesus Christ. When people see priests they expect us (and rightly so) to act like Jesus; however, all of the baptized are called to act like Jesus, not just priests. We all need to have the same characteristics of Jesus: mercy, compassion, forgiveness, service, joy, justice, and most importantly love. One way we become more like Jesus is the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart today (June 8, 2018) it’s my encouragement that you begin this great devotion. You can find more information here or you can Google it. Either way, as a baptized Catholic we have already put on Jesus Christ and are called to become more like Him. We do this through becoming who we receive in the Eucharist (especially on Sunday), daily prayer, and devotions.
Please pray for me as I continue my own spiritual journey to become more like Christ and know that I’m praying for you that our hearts may become like Jesus’ own Sacred Heart.