Thoughts on Friday's Gospel
MT 11:25-30
"I am meek and humble of heart". These words exemplify the theme of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. It may seem odd to pay particular attention to one organ in the body of Jesus but the devotion to the Sacred Heart should be seen instead as devotion to Jesus, the meek and humble one.
The Western mindset can seem to be focused on the intellect and the mind at the expense of the feelings and the heart. We are told to be open-minded in the sense of being tolerant, rather than being open-hearted in the sense of welcoming and loving and that is a pity. Especially, since Jesus is the model of one with an open-heart offered to all who come to him, indeed on the Cross his heart was opened for everyone.
This idea of open-heartedness should also influence our way of understanding Jesus' meekness and humility - meekness does not mean shyness or introvertedness, rather Jesus' meekness is reflective of his desire to bring comfort and security to all. The Sacred Heart is not a hardened heart closed to the outside, but a soft heart beating for the life of the world.
"I am meek and humble of heart". These words exemplify the theme of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. It may seem odd to pay particular attention to one organ in the body of Jesus but the devotion to the Sacred Heart should be seen instead as devotion to Jesus, the meek and humble one.
The Western mindset can seem to be focused on the intellect and the mind at the expense of the feelings and the heart. We are told to be open-minded in the sense of being tolerant, rather than being open-hearted in the sense of welcoming and loving and that is a pity. Especially, since Jesus is the model of one with an open-heart offered to all who come to him, indeed on the Cross his heart was opened for everyone.
This idea of open-heartedness should also influence our way of understanding Jesus' meekness and humility - meekness does not mean shyness or introvertedness, rather Jesus' meekness is reflective of his desire to bring comfort and security to all. The Sacred Heart is not a hardened heart closed to the outside, but a soft heart beating for the life of the world.
posted by Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR | 10:09 PM
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