Traditional Catholic Teaching - Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Supplement B

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Introduction

In searching for a Gospel meditation to underpin Bishop Dwyer's Lesson on the Saviour, we chose the Gospel reading from the Mass of the Sacred Heart. The text is printed below is the Gospel appointed for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (The Epistle later referred to is Ephesians 3: 8 – 12 and 14 – 19.)

Our Text: John 19: 31 – 37 (Douai Version)

Christ is the true paschal Lamb, sacrificed for the salvation of the world. Fulfilling the prophecies, He dies on the cross for love of us.

At that time, the Jews (because it was the Parasceve¹, that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath-day (for that was a great Sabbath-day²), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came, and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water³. And he that saw it hath given testimony and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he⁴ saith true: that you also may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "You shall not break a bone of Him". And again another Scripture saith: "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

¹ On the eve of the Sabbath, all "preparations" had to be made to ensure tht the next day should be one of perfect rest.
² Because it coincided with the feast of the Passover.
³ The blood is a symbol of the Eucharist, the water of Baptism.
⁴ "He" probably denotes Jesus.

Gospel Meditation

One of the soldiers opens Jesus' side with a lance, and there comes out blood and water.

Today's Gospel and Epistle (from the Mass of the Sacred Heart) lead us to consider the Sacred Heart of Jesus even more directly. The Gospel (Jn. 19: 31 – 37) shows us His heart pierced with a lance: "One of the soldiers opened His side with a spear," and St. Augustine offers this comment: "The Evangelist says…opened, to show us that thereby the door of life was thrown open, through which the Sacraments of the Church flow forth." From the pierced Heart of Christ, symbol of the love which immolated Him on the cross for us,came forth the Sacraments, represented by the water and the Blood flowing from the wound, and it is through these Sacraments that we receive the life of grace. Yes it is eminently true to say that the Heart of Jesus was opened to bring us into life. Jesus once said, "Narrow is the gate…that leadeth to life" (Matt. 7: 14); but if we understand this gate to be the wound in His Heart, we can say that no gate could open to us with greater welcome.

St. Paul, in his beautiful Epistle (Eph. 3: 8 – 19), urges us to penetrate further into the Heart of Jesus
to contemplate His "unsearchable riches" and to enter into "the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God." This is the mystery of the infinite, divine love that has gone before us from all eternity and was revealed to us by the Word made flesh; it is the mystery of the love which willed to redeem us and sanctify us in Christ "in whom we have…[free] access to God."

Again Jesus presents Himself as the door which leads to salvation. "I am the door. By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved" (Jn. 10: 9). This door is His Heart, which, wounded for us, has brought us into life. By love alone can we penetrate this mystery of infinite love, but not any kind of love will suffice. As St. Paul says, we must "be rooted and founded in charity." Only thus shall we be able "to know…the charity of Christ which surpasseth all knowledge, that [we] may be filled unto all the fullness of God."

From "Divine Intimacy" by Fr. Gabriel, O.C.D., 1961.

Further Reflection

The St Andrews Missal gives the following explanation of the importance of the Sacred Heart devotion, and suggests Bible references and readings which relate to it.

In the sixteenth century Calvinism, and in the seventeenth Jansenism, preached a distorted Christianity that substituted for God's love and Sacrifice of His Son for all men the fearful idea that a whole section of humanity was inexorably damned.

The Church always countered this view with the infinite love of our Saviour who died on the cross for all men. The institution of the feast of the Sacred Heart was soon to contribute to the creation among the faithful of a powerful current of devotion which since then has grown steadily stronger. The first Office and Mass of the Sacred Heart were Composed by St. John Eudes, but the institution of the feast was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. The celebration of the feast was extended to the general calendar of the Church by Pius IX in l856.

Our Lord said: "Here is the Heart that so loved men". The texts of the Mass form a magnificent evocation of the depth and breadth of our Saviour's love. In the Epistle, we read of St Paul's thanksgiving for the infinite dimensions of the divine dispensation. In the Gospel, we hear of the piercing of our Lord's side, whence flowed the waters of Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist This is the very symbol of redemptive love.

Further Bible Reading

On Christ's redemptive love, the source of our salvation John 10: 11 – 18; 13: 1, 34 – 35; l5: 9 – 13; 17. Rom 5: 1 – 11; 8: 35 – 39. 2 Cor. 5: 14 – 15. Gal 2: 20. Eph. 3: 8 – 19; 5: 2, 25. 1 John 4: 7 – 21.

End of Lesson 7 Supplement B

Back | Index | Next