The Worship of the Sacred Heart in Relation to the Love of God and of Our Neighbour
1. There is nothing sentimental about having devotion to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. Neither does this devotion consist only in prayers and
pious practices. It is much deeper than this. It should flood our whole
being, enkindle the fire of divine love in our hearts, and transform our
lives in accordance with the commands of Jesus. A love which is not active cannot be genuine; it is only a passing emotion.
Our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus should be real and effective. As
far as possible it should change us into living replicas of Jesus
Christ.
“You are my friends,” He said, “if you do the things I
command you.” (John 15, 14) Which commands does He mean? All of them, of
course. “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. (Mt. 11, 29)
If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me. (Mt. 16, 24) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul.” (Mt. 22, 37)
Anyone
who practises these precepts and all others which are contained in the
Gospel is sincerely devoted to the Sacred Heart. If anyone neglects to
put them into practice, but is satisfied with prayers, ejaculations and
the performance of spiritual exercises, his devotion is empty and has no
foundation.
These prayers, ejaculations and pious practices
have their value in so far as they can attract God’s grace. But we must
co-operate with God’s grace by our good actions. Then our devotion to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be sincere and effective.
2. The
cult of the Sacred Heart demands especially the practice of the two
great fundamental precepts of Christianity, namely, that we should love
God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves. The implementation
of this teaching can transform our lives.
Do we love God above
all things and more than we love ourselves? What is the predominant
concept in our minds? Is it the concept of God? What is the first love
in our hearts? Is it the love of God? What is our main desire in life?
Is it the glory of God? Or is it our own glory or our own pleasure?
We have still a long way to go in the way of the love of God, which is
the way of perfection. We can only really be said to be ourselves,
moreover, when we love God above all things and more than ourselves. If a
man does not love God above all things, neither does he love himself in
the way in which he ought to love himself, because God is our only true
happiness.
Do we love our neighbour as ourselves? How much
moral and physical wretchedness do we see around us? But do we try and
remedy it by every means in our power, no matter what the sacrifice? Or
are we cold and disinterested? Let us remember the words of St. John,
the apostle of charity. “In this we have come to know his love, that he
laid down his life for us; and we likewise ought to lay down our life
for the brethren.” (I John 3, 16) Are we prepared to do this? Are we at
least prepared to give away whatever we do not need ourselves in order
to relieve poverty and want?
3. Anyone who is lacking in an effective love for God and for his neighbour has no real devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Ejaculation: My Jesus, mercy!
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