“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.” (John 4:7).
God’s love flows through the compassionate heart of Jesus into the world and is there for us to receive every day, not for doing wonderful deeds but for being, for waking up and living. What a gift!
Yet the world, the media, our own insecurities draw our attention, to fear, hatred in the world, and false deities. It is not simple to wake and receive God’s love unconditionally. The realities of our world and our daily stresses often hijack our thinking and feeling… unless we choose to walk with Jesus and become fully immersed in His love, a daily conversion. This conversion of our hearts will gently guide us to err on the side of love, not fear.
I was once told by my spiritual director to give my burdens to Jesus; as I examine my day, to gather my worries, problems, fears and all things that keep me from God’s love and to symbolically place them at the foot of the cross. Let them go. The grace, compassion and mercy of His most beloved Sacred Heart will tend to my burdens and allow me to fully experience God’s love through my actions and encounters. As Pope Francis says in his book, Walking with Jesus, “If we share our joys and sorrows with him, then we will experience the peace and joy that only God, who in his infinite love, can give.”
I have many fears, anxieties, self-doubts. The beauty of our faith is to know that Jesus understands because He too was human. If a friend of mine was hurting, I would extend my arms with compassion, help if I could and simply be kind. This is what Jesus is doing for us every minute of every day with His infinite love.
For today, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.
Reflection by Margaret (Meg) Brudney, Head of School, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Omaha, Nebraska
Artwork by Egino Weinert
