S15 E9 - The Sacred Heart - Dilexit Nos (Part 3)

In this week's episode, we conclude our three part series on the heart and  Pope Francis’ recent encyclical Dilexit Nos. We reflect on Scripture as a personal love story, how it speaks to our areas of weakness, and the awesome reality of Jesus desiring to love and heal us there. The Lord meets us where we are and He is always seeking to bring our hearts closer to His. He speaks directly to each one of us with an invitation to be loved and to love. This invitation of love requires a response not only in big moments but in the ordinary moments of each day.

Heather’s One Thing - Her friends Laura and Brandon

Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Farkle Classic Dice Game

Michelle’s One Thing -  Nazareth Organics (especially the Sleep Balm)

Michelle’s Other One Thing - The Florida State vs UNC game

Other Resources Mentioned: 

• “Dilexit Nos”: A brief guide for busy readers
• Dilexit Nos audio version

Journal Questions:

• How do I experience spiritual amnesia and forget the ways the Lord loves me?
• When have I experienced the tender love of the Lord in places of poverty and isolation in my heart?
• Where in my life do I need to hear the sweet sound of the Lord’s heartbeats? What does Jesus want to convey to me through that sound?
• What parts of Christ’s Body, the Church, do I fail to love?

Discussion Questions:

• How has the Lord being present to your heart brought you healing and communion?
• How has the barrage of tragedy and hardship from the news and social media hardened your heart toward human suffering?
• Where are the lukewarm places of your heart?
• What conversations can you have, actions can you take, or apologies can you make to love your neighbor like Christ?

Quotes to Ponder:

The pierced heart of Christ embodies all God’s declarations of love present in the Scriptures. That love is no mere matter of words; rather, the open side of his Son is a source of life for those whom he loves, the fount that quenches the thirst of his people. (Pope Francis, “Dilexit Nos”, Paragraph 101)

Saint Augustine opened the way to devotion to the Sacred Heart as the locus of our personal encounter with the Lord. For Augustine, Christ’s wounded side is not only the source of grace and the sacraments, but also the symbol of our intimate union with Christ, the setting of an encounter of love. There we find the source of the most precious wisdom of all, which is knowledge of him. In effect, Augustine writes that John, the beloved disciple, reclining on Jesus’ bosom at the Last Supper, drew near to the secret place of wisdom. (Pope Francis, “Dilexit Nos”, Paragraph 103)

Scripture for Lectio: 

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their ch