Take refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

In Mt. 11;28-30, the evangelist speaks to us about the “hesed” of God, that is, the “loving mercy” made incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. We pine for this loving mercy which we honor specifically on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In my own lifetime, my devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is, I am sure, pivotal in my decision to say “yes” to the Lord’s invitation to follow him into the priesthood.  Because I was quick to learn that life on planet earth can be fickle, troublesome, sorrowful, fodder for anxiety, I took solace in this beautiful passage from the Second Gospel and how Jesus invites all of us who are finding life burdensome to find refuge from the pain in him. In the following, there are some instances which perhaps you, the reader, can identify with. Instances in which you are plagued by circumstances beyond your control which yield pain, sorrow, anxiety, depression, physical disease. In each of these, the Lord beckons to find comfort in him, in particular, in his heart, the locus of God’s “hesed,” his loving mercy. On June 16, the Church pays homage to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is not a feast day but an actual solemnity, one of the feasts of the Lord. May all of us, each in our own way, find a way to honor the loving mercy of God made flesh in Jesus. He is our hope and, in the words of the “Te Deum,” “ we shall never hope in vain.”

“My life is spinning out of control—I can’t take this constant rushing, when I want to sleep, I can’t. When I don’t want to sleep, I find myself dozing off.” And   Jesus says: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

“My husband and I haven’t been intimate in years. I feel like a parched desert yearning for even a drop of water. I feel empty—unloved and unlovable.”  And Jesus says: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

“My kids and I don’t see eye-to-eye on just about any issue. They speak a language which is foreign to me. And they don’t want to spend any time with me.  In fact, they never want to be seen in my company when they are with their friends. It seems like their friends come before their family.” And Jesus says:  “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

“Does anyone know how humiliating it is for me to be unemployed after dedicating the past twenty years of my life to a big banking firm? Now, I’m lucky if I can find a job as a branch manager. I live in a town that I love but for how much longer?  Creditors are hounding me. Bills go unpaid. My kids have no clue what’s going on and, sometimes, I wish my wife didn’t either.” And Jesus says: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

“Just when I think that I’m out of the woods with my battle with one cancer, I just learned that another cancer has reared its ugly head in my body. I’m scared. I’m young.  I have kids—and I don’t want to leave them. I don’t want them to lose their faith if I die.  I don’t want them to blame God for what genetics has done to me.” And Jesus says: “Come to me you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

“Twenty years of marriage, four kids and my husband tells me that he no longer wants to be married. What did I do wrong? Why has the loved that united us dissolved? Will somebody pinch me and tell me that it’s just a bad dream?” And Jesus says: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28]

These are just a few vignettes from the hearts of parishioners who are in pain; just a few insights into the hearts of people who populate our pews, sometimes on a daily basis. But the word is out—Jesus doesn’t want us to suffer alone. His Sacred Heart beckons:  “come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” [Mt. 11:28] The Heart calls—“what are we waiting for?”  Let go, let Jesus!