Friday Following the Second Sunday After Pentecost—Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

*

“The veneration of the Sacred Heart is a summary of all our religion and, moreover, a guide to a more perfect life. It more easily leads our minds to know Christ the Lord intimately and more effectively turns our hearts to love him more ardently and to imitate Him more perfectly” (Pope Pius XI, 1928). So that is all you need to know.

But wait, there’s more! The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus came from devotion to the humanity of Jesus, but it developed from the devotion to the Passion of Jesus and the Sacred Wounds. Many saints fostered this devotion, including St. Bonaventure, St. John Eudes, and the mystics St. Lutgarde, St. Mechtilde and St. Gertrude the Great. But the saint who promoted it in its modern form is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. She had a vision of Jesus showing his heart in flames—“a sign of his burning love for the souls He had ransomed with his sacrifice on the Cross.” With the help of the Jesuit, St. Claude de la Colombière, she fostered the devotion to the point where it was liturgically celebrated in 1670, established as a feast for the whole Church in 1856, and raised to the highest rank of solemnity in 1928. Since 2002, it is also a special Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

That’s the theology and history, but what about its place in our hearts? Jesus’ Sacred Heart is a sign of his complete love for us. Further, the entire month of June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This guides us away from the secular celebration of “Pride” month, pride being the worst of the seven deadly sins! Love is about humility, service, and sacrifice, all of which are shown through Jesus’ Sacred Heart.

*https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/18704992416

July 15--St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

The Franciscans have given the Church many great saints, among these being St. Bonaventure.  St. Bonaventure lived in the 13^th century, not long after the Franciscans were founded.  He became the Minister General, or leader, of the Franciscans and also was named a cardinal.  He was also influential in helping unite the Latin and Greek churches at the Council of Lyon in 1274.  He wrote many volumes on theology and philosophy.  A contemporary of St. Thomas Aquinas, he also worked on integrating faith and reason.   He died soon after the Council of Lyon.  He was named a Doctor of the Church and called the Seraphic Doctor.

Faith and reason do go together, as shown by St. Bonaventure’s, and others, works.  Many have accused Catholics and believers of having “blind faith”, that is, faith that does not have any connection to reason whatsoever.  This is not true.  Both faith and reason are gifts from God and need to be used in the correct context.  We use reason in acknowledging the existence of God.  We use reason as a natural gift from God.  We use faith as a supernatural gift from God.  Reason tells us there is a God; faith tells us that Jesus is God.  Reason tells us that the statement that Jesus is God is reasonable due to the evidence of the believers who first knew him, listened to him, and witnessed him as risen from the dead.  Faith builds on reason, just as grace builds on nature.  

“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope …” (1 Pet. 3:15).  We need to be ready to use our reason in defense of our hope and our faith, namely Jesus Christ.  We are not “blind fools”, but rather, “We are fools on Christ’s account …” (1 Cor. 4:10).