The word heart is
used over a thousand times in the Bible.
While at times it refers to the organ that pumps blood around the body,
the sacred authors usually have a different intent with this word. Most of the time heart refers to the source of emotions or seat of life in the human
person.
One
feature of Old Testament literature is the use of anthropomorphic descriptions
of God. While God is true spirit,
the Old Testament uses metaphorical language to describe Him with a face,
hands, back and mouth. In the
first reading we learn of God’s heart:
“…the LORD set his heart on you and chose you…”
What a beautiful image of God and
this, from the Old Testament, which was before Jesus came to reveal the Father
more fully.
Living
after Christ, we understand a fuller picture of God’s metaphorical heart: “In this is love: not
that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for
our sins.”
Yet
above all, Jesus came to make literally what was metaphoric. Having become a man, Jesus took on a
body with an anatomical heart. On
the cross, this heart stopped beating as Jesus gave up his life and it was
pierced by a soldier’s lance. Yet
this physical death gave new life.
This new life was foreshadowed by Jesus’ Sacred Heart pouring forth
water and blood—signs of our Sacraments—and fulfilled every image of God’s heart in the Old Testament.
Through
this gift, Jesus tells us: “Come to me,
all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and
you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Wherever you are today—busy or tired
with daily work, dry in prayer, stressed out or battling sin—find rest in Jesus’
Sacred Heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment