A Scary Thought

                                   NCR

I recently had a Doppler ultrasound of my heart (no worries, just routine since my family has a significant history of heart disease).  Naturally, today being the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I was thinking about the ultrasound image.

It is fascinating to see and hear your own beating heart.  It brings into focus the beauty of this organ that keeps us alive.  Seeing the activity going on inside me reminded me of the care I need to take to keep myself healthy—something I attempt to do.

To see that big muscle in my chest working so hard every second—even under the stress of a treadmill stress test—doing what it is supposed to be doing, really brings to light how we so often take our beautiful bodies for granted. It is easy to forget that we are temples of the Lord.

I was curious today about where this devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus came from.  I highly recommend you read more about it here.

What caught my attention in this article was that to a holy sister who had been receiving visions of Jesus, Jesus asked that this feast be celebrated “in reparation for the ingratitude of men for the sacrifice which Christ had made for them.”

Ouch.

Today’s Solemnity (which is a high-ranking feast day) is a good day to check ourselves to see where we fall on the gratitude scale.  Like my own heart beating away deep within me, have I forgotten all that Jesus has done—and continues to do—to sustain my life?

How often do I consider his suffering which he accepted and endured out of his love for me?  Do I offer my own sacrifices in union with his, out of love for my brothers and sisters? 

According to the article, Margaret Mary (who had been receiving the visions) reported that Jesus wanted to give the faithful the figure of his “Heart of flesh”—something we recognize in the physical image of his pierced heart, but most especially in the reality of the Eucharist.

Not only are we the beneficiaries of all that Jesus gave us through his life, death and resurrection, but we continue today to be so very blessed to receive his actual body and blood in the Holy Eucharist.

Last year a Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 70% of Catholics think they are receiving symbols when they receive the body and blood of Jesus—70%!

I’m not a big statistics person, but this is really disturbing.  Only 31% of us believe we are receiving Jesus.

What on earth would be the point of receiving a symbol?  It is unconscionable that the core teaching of the Church about the Eucharist has fallen on deaf ears.

With every beat of our heart I hope each of us can work to educate ourselves and others about the Eucharist.  The reality is, we definitely need this feast of the Sacred Heart due to our ignorance and ingratitude.

It is pretty hard to be thankful for something in which you don’t even believe.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net (podcasts)