As we come to the close of the month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we continue to meditate on the boundless love of Christ. While the devotion to the Sacred Heart has been especially cultivated in the West, its essence is deeply Orthodox—rooted in the love of God made manifest in the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Resurrection. The heart of Christ is the wellspring of divine mercy, overflowing with grace for all who seek Him. Let us reflect on five key aspects of this devotion in light of the Bible and Orthodox spirituality.
1. Prayer is essential in drawing close to the Sacred Heart. As the Lord Himself has promised: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) Through prayer, repentance, and ascetic struggle, we allow Christ to reshape our hearts, making them tender and responsive to His divine love. The Orthodox life is one of synergy—our cooperation with the grace of God—so that our hearts may become reflections of His own.
2. The Sacred Heart is not only a symbol but a reality—it is the very love of Christ poured out for humanity. Just as He had compassion on the multitudes, healing the sick and feeding the hungry, we too must bear the burdens of others: “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) In the Orthodox Church, we see this love lived out in acts of mercy—feeding the poor, comforting the sorrowful, and interceding for the suffering. To venerate the Sacred Heart is to embody the sacrificial love of Christ in our daily lives.
3. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a heart of forgiveness. From the Cross, He uttered the words: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) We are called to imitate this boundless mercy: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32) In Orthodox spirituality, forgiveness is essential for the healing of the soul. Without it, our hearts remain hardened. The Jesus Prayer—”Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—draws us into the compassionate embrace of Christ, softening our hearts through grace.
4. The Sacred Heart is not passive but active, always seeking the lost and uplifting the downtrodden. Our Lord Himself tells us: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) In the Orthodox tradition, acts of charity are seen as direct encounters with Christ. We serve Him in the hungry, the imprisoned, and the stranger. True devotion to the Sacred Heart compels us to become vessels of divine love in a world desperate for healing.
5. To love the Sacred Heart is to love Christ wholly and completely: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) This love is cultivated through prayer, the sacraments, and the life of the Church. Keeping an icon of Christ Pantocrator or Christ the Good Shepherd in our homes can serve as a reminder of His ever-present love. Participating in the Divine Liturgy and receiving the Eucharist—the very Body and Blood of the One whose Heart was pierced for our salvation—draws us ever closer to Him.
By embracing these practices, we allow the Sacred Heart of Jesus to transform us, filling us with divine love and guiding us to eternal communion with Him. May our hearts be set aflame with the same love that burns in the Heart of Christ, for “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16)
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
23 June 2024
