Missionaries of the Sacred

On Friday, July 1, 2011, we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart, our Patron. The Sacred Heart is the Source of all graces. Our Founder, Jules Chevalier, wrote in 1862, “The Heart of the divine Master is the center of which everything in the Old and New Testaments converges, the pivot around which everything in Catholicism turns, the sun of the Church, the soul of our souls, the source of our mysteries, the origin of our sacraments, the pledge of our reconciliation, the salvation of our world the remedy of all our ills.”

One of the greatest messages of our Faith is that God loved us with a human heart. This Heart was formed in the womb of our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It is the fountain of human love, emotional love and divine love. (Cf. Pius XII, Haurietis Aquas)

Jesus’ whole life expresses His human love through human compassion and mercy for the poor, for those hurting and for the marginalized. Jules Chevalier writes, “If we follow our Lord in his public life, we see his Heart pour itself out on every sort of misfortune, on every sort of misery, moral and physical. (Sacred Heart, p. 9) We see Jesus’ expressing concern for the four thousand hungry souls: “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” (Matthew 16:32) He identifies the poor, the hungry, and the sorrowful and persecuted as “blessed.” His heart reaches out to those not accepted and calls for reconciliation among enemies. (Luke 6: 27-36; 10:29-37; 17:11-19; John 4:4-42) Rather than condemning His compassionate Heart brings forth forgiveness. (Luke 7:36-49; 15:1-7; 11-32; John 7:53-8:1-11) On the cross, His heart cries out to the Father, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Throughout His life, the Heart of Jesus experiences profound human emotions. His Heart manifests love for children and expresses much joy in their presence. The Reign of God belongs “to such as these.” (Matthew 19:13-15) The Heart of Christ happily cooks breakfast for the hungry disciples after a long, arduous fish­ing adventure. (John 21:12-13) Profound sorrow is also experienced from the Heart. When his friend, Lazarus dies, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) He was deeply distressed from the Heart. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ hurting Heart entreats the Father that the “cup” of His Passion and Death will pass. The Gospel of Luke (22:44) describes His pain, “He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. On the cross, in desperation, His heart clamors, “My God my God, why have your forsaken me? (Mark 15:34) Jules Chevalier sums up the human emotions of the Heart of Christ: “On such occasions, Jesus was deeply moved; waves of tender­ness and love invaded his soul. His Heart reacted to these impressions, his blood flowed more rapidly; his face, his gestures and his fears betrayed the emotion he felt inside him, an emotion he would not restrain.” (Sacred Heart, p. 129) So human was the Heart of Jesus, the Heart of God.

Jesus is the most perfect revelation of God and manifesta­tion of God’s unconditional and infinite love. The Heart of Jesus is the Heart of God. It is not as two hearts, but one Heart, human and divine. The “Father and I are one.” (John 10:30) Our Founder saw Jesus as “completely com­ing from the Heart of His Father, from there he receives his life while in the womb of Mary.” ((Sacred Heart, p. 143) When we encounter the Heart of Jesus, we encounter the Heart of God. At that moment hearts become as one: “On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you….And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him…Whoever loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him, and will come to him and make our dwelling with him. (John 14:20-21, 23)

As members of the Jules Chevalier family, we come to know that the human sentiments of the Heart of Jesus are those of God. We invite you to take on the same sentiments as our Patron and Master. Our Founder wrote, “If the Missionary of the Sacred Heart wants to make his [her] work and words effective, he [she], must imitate his divine model. (1885) Like Jesus, we are called to merci­ful love in action. Following the behavior of the Heart of Christ, we are calledto bring about the Reign of God with the bonds of love for God’s people, “not hesitating when necessary to carry them on our shoul­ders.” We will “strive by every means to rout out the contrary spirit of fear and severity.” (Jules Chevalier).

May The Sacred Heart of Jesus Be Loved Everywhere! Now and forever!

Br. Warren Perrotto, MSC