“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
The infinite love of Jesus Christ for each of us is perfectly expressed in His Sacred Heart. In Orthodox theology, the heart is not merely a symbol of emotion but the very centre of our spiritual being—the place where God meets man. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the wellspring of divine love, revealing God’s mercy and compassion through His Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection. This love is not a distant or abstract concept; it is the living and active presence of Christ, calling us to participate in His divine life.
Just as the shepherd seeks his lost sheep, Christ, with His Sacred Heart, seeks each of us. He knows our struggles, our sorrows, and our sins. He does not stand apart from our suffering but enters into it, carrying us upon His shoulders like the lost sheep: “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” (Matthew 18:12) This is the love of the Sacred Heart—an unfailing love that seeks, finds, and rejoices over every soul that returns to Him. In the Orthodox tradition, we experience this divine love most profoundly in the Holy Mysteries, especially in Confession and the Eucharist, where Christ heals and restores us to communion with Him.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a heart that heals. The wounds of sin, the pains of life, and the burdens of our daily struggles all find their remedy in Him. The Church Fathers teach that Christ took on human nature to heal it from within, offering His own life as the balm for our wounded souls: “He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3) This divine healing is not merely a temporary relief but a restoration of our souls, drawing us ever deeper into His grace. Through prayer, repentance, and the sacraments, we allow the love of the Sacred Heart to penetrate our lives, transforming our hearts into vessels of His mercy.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus calls us to reflect on the depth of His love—a love that never ceases to seek us out, to heal, and to welcome us home. It is a love that is patient, kind, and boundless in mercy: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah 31:3) No matter how far we have strayed, no matter how broken we may feel, Christ’s Sacred Heart is always open, always ready to embrace us. In the Orthodox spiritual life, we are called to cultivate this awareness through the Jesus Prayer, fasting, and acts of charity—each an opportunity to enter more fully into His love.
To love the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to respond to His love with faith and devotion. This means seeking Him daily in prayer, living according to His commandments, and loving others as He has loved us. It means recognising that, even in our weakest moments, His mercy never fails: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) Through veneration of Christ’s Sacred Heart, we are reminded that His love is not just for the righteous but for all who turn to Him in repentance. The more we open our hearts to Him, the more we are transformed into His likeness, shining as beacons of His divine love in the world.
May we always seek refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, allowing His boundless love to sustain and guide us, now and forever. Amen.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
16 June 2024
