THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
(Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi)
The Pierced Heart (John 19:30-37).
INTRODUCTION
The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one
of the most popular Catholic observances. Though the devotion to the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was there from the apostolic times, the feast
had developed through many centuries and was introduced in the universal
church after the appearance of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in
France in 1673 requesting a special devotion to his Sacred Heart. It is
also related to other devotions like the First Friday Devotion, the
feasts of Corpus Christi, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Divine
Mercy. The symbols on the image of the Sacred Heart are worthy of
reflection.
Bible Text
(30) When Jesus had
taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he
handed over the spirit. (31) Now since it was preparation day, in order
that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the
sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that
their legs be broken and they be taken down. (32) So the soldiers came
and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was
crucified with Jesus. (33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that he
was already dead, they did not break his legs, (34) but one soldier
thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed
out. (35) An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he
knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to]
believe. (36) For this happened so that the scripture passage might be
fulfilled: “Not a bone of it will be broken.” (37) And again another
passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”
Interpretation
The devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus is to be understood in the Biblical, historical and symbolical
perspective.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
(30) When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
After accomplishing the mission that his
Father entrusted to him, Jesus died on the cross.
(31) Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.
Only John, who was at the foot of the cross
of Jesus, recorded the piercing of Jesus’ heart. He gives the reason for
the piercing. Though Romans allowed to leave the dead body on the cross,
the Jews could not do that. “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put
to death and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not remain on the
tree overnight. You must bury it the same day; anyone who is hanged is a
curse of God. You shall not defile the land which the LORD, your God, is
giving you as a heritage.” (Deut. 21:22-23). Besides, the following day
was a great sabbath of the Passover feast. The breaking of the legs of
the crucified by clubs was to speed up the death of the person though it
was also another Roman punishment.
(32) So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. (33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,
Out of the three who were crucified, Jesus
died first and there was no need to break his legs.
(34) but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
The purpose of piercing the side of Jesus
with spear was not to kill him because he was already dead. The soldier
or centurion, who is named as Longinus in the non-canonical books,
wanted to confirm that he was dead. The water that flowed was believed
to be the watery lymph from the pericardium and blood from the heart.
The human heart is on the left side of the body. However, artists make
this wound on the right. The soldier might have pierced from the right
side from below to bypass the ribs and to push the heart against the
ribs on the left side. This, by divine providence, assured that his rib
was not broken and that he was dead before taken down from the cross
proving beyond any doubt that he had risen from the dead.
Symbolic interpretations are given for the
water and blood that came from the heart of Jesus. Water represents
baptism and blood stands for the Holy Eucharist. This interpretation was
confirmed in the vision to Sr. Faustina who was instrumental in
propagating the Divine Mercy. Some believe that just was Adam’s side was
opened to create Eve, God opened the side of Jesus to generate the
church. Church uses water (baptism) and blood (Holy Eucharist) of Jesus
to give spiritual birth and to initiate to Christian life. Through the
baptismal water, Jesus cleans the stains of original sins and through
the Eucharistic body and blood, he nourishes our soul for eternal life.
(35) An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe.
John the Evangelist was eyewitness to the
events that happened at the crucifixion of Jesus because he was present
there with Mary, the mother of Jesus. He assured the truth of what he
had recorded.
(36) For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: “Not a bone of it will be broken.”
John found the fulfillment of scripture
passage in not breaking any bone of Jesus. According to Exodus 12:46,
when the Israelites killed the Passover lamb, they were asked not to
break any of the bones of the Passover lamb. The same instruction is
repeated in Numbers 9:12. In Psalm 34:21, we read, “He watches over all
his bones; not one of them shall be broken.” Jesus is presented here as
the perfect lamb that was slain for the forgiveness of our sins
(37) And again another passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”
John here quotes from Zechariah 12:10.
Amen, amen, I say to you
HISTORIAL BACKGROUND OF THE FEAST
The heart is considered as the center of
feeling and stands for love, compassion, understanding and seat of
emotions. Devotion to the heart of Jesus is a human response to the love
of God manifested through the sacrificial love of Jesus to humanity. The
central theme of the salvation history is the love of God for people who
are the only beings created in his own image and likeness. God made
special covenant with Israelites and selected them as his firstborn son
(Exodus 4:22). At Mount Sinai, God declared to Moses: “The LORD, the
LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love
and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and
forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7). Even when
Israelites sinned against God, God was faithful to his covenant and
continued loving and forgiving them.
God’s great love is expressed in John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” St.
John the Evangelist is associated with the devotion of Sacred Heart of
Jesus because he was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23).
The earliest known proponent of the devotion
to the Sacred Heart was St. Bernard in the 11th century. St. Gertrude
the Great and St. Mechtilde were two 12th century visionaries
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. However, the devotion of the Sacred Heart
became popular after four centuries when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had
visions in 1673. Jesus showed her the now famous image of the Sacred
Heart and revealed to her, his desire for a widespread devotion of his
Sacred Heart. On the feast of St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret May
Alacoque had the opportunity to rest her heart upon the heart of Jesus.
St. John and St. Gertrude had similar opportunities. So, it became clear
that Jesus wanted to propagate not just the love but the devotion to the
physical and beating heart of Jesus. The feast of Sacred Heart was first
started in France in 1670. Later in 1856, Pope Pius IX extended this
feast to the universal church. On June 11, 1899 Pope Leo XIII
consecrated the whole mankind to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This feast of Scared Heart is interconnected
with the feasts of Corpus Christi, Immaculate Heart of Mary and Divine
Mercy. Pope Urban IV instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264 that
gives special devotion to the Body and Blood of Jesus. Blood was
separated from the body of the sacrificial lamb and so was the last drop
of Jesus separated with the piercing of his heart on the cross. Jesus
had asked St. Margaret to have the feast of the Sacred Heart on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.
So, it was Jesus who selected the day and related it to the feast of
Corpus Christi.
The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was
established by Pope Pius VII in 1805. It was from Mary that Jesus
received his physical heart. She was also the co-redeemer suffering with
Jesus at the foot of the cross. The feast of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary is celebrated on the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. Thus, they are linked feasts of two hearts. St. John Eudes
propagated the devotion to the two hearts together in the 17th
century.
The Divine Mercy was established on April 22,
2001 by Pope St. John Paul II. Through vision to St. Faustina, Jesus
revealed that the red and white rays on the image of the Divine Mercy
signify the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus on the
cross when his heart was pierced. Thus, the feast of the Divine Mercy is
an extension of the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The First Friday Devotion also evolved from
the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus based on the vision of Jesus
to St. Margaret Mary. It is a devotion to the Sacred Heart in reparation
for the sins of mankind by attending and receiving Holy Mass on the
first Friday of every month for nine consecutive months. Jesus assured
special privileges for those who practice it: the grace of final
penitence; death in grace, opportunity to receive sacraments at the time
of death, and safe refuge in the Divine Heart at the last moment of
life.
SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE SACRED HEART
Based on her visions, St. Margaret Mary
designed and produced the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the
image of the Sacred Heart, we see the heart outside the chest of Jesus,
shining with divine light. It is wounded and bleeding, encircled by the
crown of thorns, and with a cross on the top. The wounded hands of Jesus
point to the heart.
The Heart represents the physical heart of
Jesus and his sacrificial love for humanity.
The pierced and bleeding heart reminds us the
piercing of his heart while he was on the cross and the last drop of
blood and water that came out of his sacrifice.
The crown of thorns is the symbol of the real
crown of sharp thrones placed on the head of Jesus to humiliate him and
torture him before his crucifixion.
The cross on the top of the heart is
representing the cross that won victory for humanity and the ladder that
connects the heaven and the earth through the redemptive work of Jesus.
Flames on the heart is symbolic of the
burning flame of love of Jesus for humanity.
The light surrounding the heart is
representing the divine light that shines in the darkness of this world.
1. “Beloved, let us love one another, because
love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows
God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This
is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son
into the world, so that we might live through Him.” (1John 4:7-9). So,
let us share the flame of God’s love with one another.
2. Jesus is the best model of “agape.” It is
the unconditional love of God for humanity. It is the sacrificial love
of Jesus who gave his life as ransom for our salvation. Others,
including our family members, might hurt us. Still we must forgive them,
love them and pray for them.
3. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is
not a devotion to an organ of Jesus but to the heart-centered dedication
of Jesus for us. Love should be mutual and should be expressed in our
dealing with God’s other children who need our care.
4. According to Christian myth or tradition,
Longinus who pierced the side of Jesus was a centurion and became a
convert. He is venerated as a saint and martyr with his feast celebrated
on October 16. This shows how Jesus had forgiven and favored even those
who persecuted him. Let us imitate Jesus in doing good even to our
enemies.
5. Priority should be given to the devotion
of Jesus than to the saints. Jesus himself has introduced different
devotions to him throughout the history of the Church. Let us keep the
devotion to the Sacred Heart especially by our active participation in
the Holy Eucharist whenever possible.