Spirituality of the Heart The love and compassion of God are revealed in the Heart of Christ A devotion or a spirituality?Even though Father Jules Chevalier (1824-1907) talked in terms of devotions, from his life and his writings it is clear that the Heart of Christ was the vital core of his spirituality. For him “devotion to the Sacred Heart” was a vision that inspired his whole spirituality, his lifestyle and his mission. Since the time of his studies in the seminary he was concerned about the evils of his time, and he was convinced that the Heart of Christ was the remedy for those evils. The evils of his time as he saw them (rationalism, religious indifference, selfishness and anticlericalism) were widespread in 19th century France. What struck Fr. Chevalier about the Heart of Christ was the intensity of Jesus' love: a compassionate love for all who suffer. He saw the Heart of Christ as the incarnation and revelation of the compassionate love of the Father. That was his “charism” or gift to the Church, the basic vision which inspired him to bear witness to the love and kindness of God our Saviour, to heal the wounded hearts of many.
I shall give you a new heart,
This icon expresses by means of an image the mystery of the Heart of Christ. It brings before us the events told in John 20:19-29 where Jesus appears to his disciples in the Cenacle after his resurrection. This event appears to be the fullness and the completion of the revelation of the love of God for humanity, a love revealed in the heart of Christ, a personal and universal love which even death cannot destroy. By the resurrected Jesus showing us his pierced hands and the wound in his side (see John 19: 31-37) we discover in person that God loves us with a human heart, in act and in truth, up to the total gift of his life. What is even better, he invites us to become like him and he calls us to share in his mission: to be on earth the Heart of God. The Icon not only reveals to us the love of God for us, but invites us to become what we contemplate. This is at the heart of our spirituality as Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Read more about the inspiration behind this icon here.
Since the Heart of Christ is the source of God's saving love for the whole world, together with our founder we see it as our mission to make this known to all.
 "Jesus invites us to a “spirituality of the heart” in imitation of his own surrender, obedience, courage, fidelity and love. It is my fervent hope that you, dear Brothers, will continue to draw inspiration and strength from this spirituality and from your Founder’s charism as you fulfil your vocation in the Church and in the world."Letter to the MSC Congregation on the 150th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Society, 2004. |
The bible’s understanding of the human heart is very rich indeed: it is mentioned more than 1100 times. In Scripture the heart refers to the interior of a person. We read about the heart of God, but mostly about the human heart. In Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:37-41 and in Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:24-27 God promises a new covenant which will be characterised by a new heart and a new spirit:
To be on earth the Heart of God