God is love, and we are made in his image. Therefore, the perfection of the human person means becoming perfect in love. Lest we rationalize a way to lower the bar for ourselves, Jesus made this standard clear, saying, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The word perfect doesn’t refer to the absurd perfectionistic standards driven by our hyper-competitive culture. Rather, it means “whole and complete.” Our hearts are shriveled by sin and selfishness, weighed down by our fallen nature, and wounded by the failings of others. More than anything, we need the love of Christ to heal our hearts, to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, and to fill and expand them.
Devotion to the Sacred of Heart of Jesus, which we celebrate on June 27 this year, speaks to the need to receive his love in its fullness and to imitate it. Consider the prayer, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.” What does it mean to have a heart like Christ’s? Jesus’ sacred heart is portrayed with a flame burning on top — a heart like Christ’s burns passionately, and that kind of love takes action to protect and nurture the beloved. It’s also portrayed encircled with a crown of thorns — bound by love, the heart experiences sharp pain at the suffering of the beloved from sin and its fallout. Jesus truly loves the sinner and hates the sin. He sees the good in us, down to the smallest of details, and he’s pained by our sin because of its degrading and harmful effects. The more tender a heart is, the more intensely it feels. We often harden our hearts and become callous to remain unaffected. Sanctification involves softening. Having a tender heart is the opposite of weakness. Tenderness means the strength to endure pain without backing down, the humility to bend down and nurture even the smallest good, and the purity to rejoice in the simplest of gifts.
As disciples of Christ, we learn this love through our daily encounters with Jesus in prayer and in our lived experiences with one another illuminated by the light of the Holy Spirit. Though great sanctity can be found in the young (and the lives of so many young saints testify to this), there’s a beautiful witness to be sought from those mature in years, whose hearts have been seasoned and softened with much time and experience in the faith. I’m always inspired when I listen to the women in my parish small group and hear their stories and their perspective. Their hearts have been painstakingly and beautifully shaped and expanded by walking with Christ and their loved ones through times of hardships and blessings. I always go home feeling my own heart stronger and fuller.
As we celebrate retired priests in this issue, consider as well the effect on their hearts from so many years of daily walking with Christ in prayer, the celebration of the Mass and the sacraments, and their ministry to parishioners — both in their consistent presence over the years, and their closeness at so many critical moments of significance in their lives. Moreover, as an alter Christus, “another Christ,” they make Christ’s sacred humanity, and especially his heart, seen and felt for us. Pope Francis, in “Dilexit Nos,” reflected on the sacramentality of Jesus’ heart, writing: “His human emotions became the sacrament of that infinite and endless love.” For example, “On various occasions, he demonstrated a love that was both passionate and compassionate. He could be deeply moved and grieved, even to the point of shedding tears. It is clear that Jesus was not indifferent to the daily cares and concerns of people, such as their weariness or hunger.” Christ continues to make God’s love visible through the hearts of his priests, through their faithfulness and attentiveness.
Let’s each pray for courage and faith to strive for perfection. May we allow the Lord to soften our hearts, that we might one day have a heart like Christ’s — full and bursting with love.
Jendro teaches theology at Providence Academy in Plymouth and is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. She’s also a speaker and writer; her website is taketimeforhim.com.
