By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ •  St. Josaphat Formation Center • Phoenix, AZ

This year the moveable feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary fall on the 3rd and 4th of June. Pope St. John Paul II gave a beautiful reflection on the Hearts of Jesus and Mary at the Sunday Angelus on June 16th, 1985:

“Through the immaculate heart of Mary we want to turn to the divine heart of her son, to the heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty! Behold: the infinite majesty of God was hidden in the human heart of the Son of Mary. This heart is our alliance. This heart is the greatest closeness of God in regard to human hearts and human history. This heart is the wonderful ‘condescension’ of God: the human heart which pulsates with divine life: the divine life which pulsates in the human heart.

“In the most holy Eucharist, with the ‘sense of faith’ we discover the same heart

  • • the heart of infinite majesty, which continues to pulsate with the human love of Christ, God-man.
  • • how profoundly Pope Pius X, former patriarch of Venice, felt this love;
  • • how greatly he desired all Christians, from early childhood, to approach the Eucharist, making their Holy Communion: to unite themselves to this heart which, at a time, is for every man ‘the house of God and the gate of heaven.’ ‘House:’ here, through Eucharistic Communion the heart of Jesus extends his home to every human heart. ‘Gate:’ here, in each of these human hearts He offers the prospect of eternal union with the most Holy Trinity.

“Mother of God! While we meditate on the mystery of your annunciation, draw us close to this divine heart:

  • • heart of infinite majesty
  • • house of God and gate of heaven
  • • this heart which, from the moment of the annunciation by the angel, began to beat close to your virginal and maternal heart.”

And here are Jesus’ own instructions for the Feast of His Sacred Heart: “I ask you that the first Friday after the Octave of the Blessed Sacrament be appropriated to a special feast to honor My Heart by receiving Communion on that day and making reparation for the indignity that It has received. And I promise that My Heart shall dilate to pour out abundantly the influences of My Love on all who will render It this honor or will obtain My Heart being given this honor.

“My Divine Heart so ardently loves men that unable to contain within Itself any longer the flames of Its burning love, It needs must spread them with your assistance, and thus it will show itself that all men may be enriched with its most precious treasures.”

Let us be confident of the love that burns in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary for each of us and for the whole world. Let us spread that love wherever we go.

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