While at home I remember my mother saying the 'Soul of Christ' in Konkani before saying the Sacred Heart rosary every Friday after the rosary. Today I understand its essence and importance! The Sacred Heart if you have noticed we come across different images - with flames around it, with a crown, with a dagger through the centre and sometimes with a crown of thorns. The Heart of Jesus is a symbol of his divine love for humanity and the various forms of the Sacred Heart of Jesus reveal Jesus’ compassion for humanity.
The heart has always been seen in the ‘centre’ and outside. When we reflect on the Sacred Heart of Jesus we meditate on his interior life through interior yet practical manifestation and no wonder the heart of Jesus is seen in the centre- outside! Which reveals His threefold love -- His divine love, His burning love and His sensible love for humanity!
And his heart was moved with compassion Mk 8:2 and the episodes related to… find no words to express ‘His gut feeling’:
“When Jesus saw the crowd struggling and dejected like sheep without a shepherd, he felt with them in the centre of his being (Mt 9:36). When Jesus saw the blind, the paralysed, and the deaf being brought to him from all directions, he trembled from within and experienced their pains in his own heart (Mt 14:14). When he noticed that the thousands who had followed him for days were tired and hungry, Jesus said, I am moved with compassion (Mk 8:2). When the two blind men called him (Mt 9:27), while the leper who fell on his knees (Mk 1:41) and the widow of Nain who was burying her only son (Lk 7:13). They moved Jesus; they made him feel with all his intimate sensibilities the depth of their sorrow. He became lost with the lost, hungry with the hungry, and sick with the sick. In Jesus, all suffering was sensed with perfect sensitivity.”
The love that flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus is: A Human as well as divine love - It is the Heart of One who is really and truly humane. Hence the love of His Heart is that of a heart that beats with pulsations like ours. It has all the characteristics which belong to human love.
A Sensible love - Just as we see through our eyes, hear with our ears, we love through/with our hearts. The heart is the organ of love. It feels affection and is physically influenced by it. It has strong emotions. It rejoices and sorrows. He is touched with the feelings of our poor infirmities. Human joy and sorrow thrilled through His Sacred Heart while He was on earth.
A love of sympathy - The Sacred Heart has itself experienced all that we suffer. Each misery has its echo there. Jesus not only understands all our troubles, but each has been felt by Him in His own person. “Come to me all you who labour… an open invitation to humanity!
The name Jesus is refreshing, healing and inspiring. The heart of Jesus is that flame of Fire which comforts, cheers up and relieves pain, agony and soothes grief. It is that burning flame that warms up from the most freezing conditions! Priceless, valuable treasures, yes, let’s recall his compassion. Such reflection and contemplation lifts our mind and heart to the Lord. Jesus’ heart is always moved as he gazes upon us. Jesus' meek and humble heart make our hearts like unto Thine. Sacred Heart of Jesus have pity on us.
Today, we rejoice and thank God for the manifold blessings throughout the Journey of the SFN’s inception. The SFN’s are fondly known as Sancoale Sisters. It’s an encouragement to know that we serve a God who made the crooked places straight, made the rough places smooth, and levelled the mountains to till the ground, to sow and reap the harvest.
Having that kind of strength and power before us, behind us, and within us was a huge comfort. Whatever crooked or rough places we faced, whatever mountains were on our way, we trusted God and in His Divine Providence. And Behold, the Lord indeed, stood like a mighty Champion on our side fulfilling his promises Is 45,2 and The LORD himself went before us and was with us, Deu. 31:8.
For the person of our Founder Fr Faustino D'Souza and the founding sisters, on the 88th foundation day of Congregation of Holy Family Sisters, Sancoale, we pledged to carry on the legacy left behind by our founder and the founding sisters trying to live the teachings of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.
