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The Encyclical Letter “Dilexit Nos” (He Loved Us) released on 24 October 2024, is the fourth encyclical of Pope Francis. It has five chapters and 220 paragraphs. It is published to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the first appearance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on 27 December 1673.
The encyclical focuses on the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and is a response to the current challenges of the world bombarded by technology and supported by rationalism, narcissism and self-centeredness which do not leave room for the heart. Moreover, the unhealthy individualism obfuscates our ability to encounter our brothers and sisters. People forget that the best way to overcome the fragmentations in the society caused by individualism is the employment of the heart in right perspective. Therefore, the Pope begins the encyclical discussing the concept of the heart as a core aspect of human experience, distinct from reason and will.
In today’s world, the heart is an ignored reality even in anthropology and in philosophical tradition. Overemphasizing the powers of reason, intelligence and freedom, the heart which is capable of uniting all faculties is left in oblivion.
In order to highlight the scenario around us, the Pope refers to the character of Nikolai Stavrogin in the novel “The Demons” of Dostoevsky who was ‘without a heart’ as he was an embodiment of evil. A heartless person is not able to encounter others as only heart is capable of establishing interpersonal relationship expressive of feeling and intimacy. If the heart is not open and alive, a person would remain a stranger even to himself/herself. Therefore, the Pope ventures to say that “I am my heart, for my heart is what sets me apart, shapes my spiritual destiny and puts me in communion with other people” (No.14). He continues saying, “We become ourselves only to the extent that we acquire the ability to acknowledge others, while only those who can acknowledge and accept themselves are then able to encounter others” (No.18).
The fundamental substratum of our being is that we are made to love and to be loved. The heart is the inner sanctuary of love in its varied dimensions, such as spiritual, psychic and even physical. A typical example of a heartless society is the outbreak of new wars and social discord marked by xenophobia and apathy. Not many seem to be concerned about the agony and hardships of children, women and the elderly who have every right to spend the end of their lives in peace and serenity. Seeing what happens around us, the Pope forces each one of us to ask, “Do I have a heart?”
The encyclical focuses on the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and is a response to the current challenges of the world bombarded by technology and supported by rationalism, narcissism and self-centeredness which do not leave room for the heart. Moreover, the unhealthy individualism obfuscates our ability to encounter our brothers and sisters. People forget that the best way to overcome the fragmentations in the society caused by individualism is the employment of the heart in right perspective.
Then the Pope recalls the experience of St. John Henry Newman whose motto was “Heart speaks to heart” (Cor ad cor loquitur). Newman’s deepest encounter with the Lord emerged not from his knowledge acquired by reading or reflection, but from his prayerful dialogue of ‘heart to heart’ with Christ.
In the current era of vying interests, frictions and egocentrism, the best starting point to build up a just and peaceful society is a concordant coexistence in the heart. What is required today, therefore, in an obligatory return to our hearts, united with the heart of Jesus.
In the words of Vatican II, ‘every one of us needs a change of heart in order to bring about the betterment of our race’ (Gaudium et spes, 82). For, ‘the imbalances affecting the world today are due to the imbalances rooted in the human heart’ (GS, 10). Therefore, the Council urged us ‘to return to the heart’ where God ‘who probes the heart and where we decide our destiny in the sight of God’ (GS, 14). It does not imply that we are self-reliant in achieving this goal. As it is realizable only with the help of God, we need to turn to the heart of Jesus which is the burning furnace of human and divine love. Thus the Pope focuses on the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which is the response to the world’s current challenges of wars and all sorts of moral dissonances and value conflicts. This is the central point of the encyclical that drives people to love their brethren to bring about concord and peace in the society.
The Gospel tells us that Jesus ‘came to his own’ (John 1:11). It means that he became “Emmanuel” – ‘God with us’ – becoming part of our lives calling us friends. The various encounters Jesus made amply attest to this fact: His conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4:5-7); His meeting with Nicodemus (John 3:1-2); Jesus not condemning the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11); Jesus asking the blind man on the roadside what he wanted from him (Mk 10:51). In his healing ministry, Jesus was very close to persons even physically (cf. Mt 8:3; Mt 815; Mt 9:29; Mk 7:33). In fact, Jesus is waiting for us to give him a chance to shed light on our journey and to uplift us.
The gaze of Jesus is always on us and our needs. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them (Mt 9:36). He saw Nathanael under the fig tree (John 1:48). He even saw the poor widow putting in two small coins in the Temple treasury (Luke 21:2). We come across Jesus who was amazed at the faith of the centurion (Mt 8:10). These examples are clear indications that Jesus sees all the actions of our hearts.
In order to understand the devotion to the Sacred Heart in its fullness, it is necessary, therefore, to understand it from a Trinitarian perspective, that is, Christ in his humanity, offered to the Father through the working of the Holy Spirit in each one of us. Thus whatever we offer to the heart of Christ is directed ultimately to the Father.
Jesus who was meek and compassionate was never indifferent to the human needs. At times, he was deeply moved even to the point of shedding tears. He invites us saying, “Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). He had compassion over the crowds who were hungry and had nothing to eat (cf. Mk 8:2-3). Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). Jesus was overwhelmed with grief even to cry out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk 14:33-34; 15:34).
The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus leads us to contemplate Christ in his humanity and divinity. Explaining certain aspects of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Pope warns that a blind trust in the image of the heart of Jesus, kissing and kneeling before it, apart from the person of Christ, the Son of God, would be like ‘actions of the Gentiles’, and not actions of a person of true faith. In the words of Pope Francis, “Whereas the Eucharist is a real presence to be worshipped, sacred images, albeit blessed, point beyond themselves inviting us to lift up our hearts and to unite them to the heart of the living Christ” (No. 57).
The Fathers of the Church – St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. John Damascene – opposing those who downplayed the humanity of Christ, insisted on the concrete reality of the human affection of Jesus Christ. In this context, the Pope has a word about the influence of the Greek thought that forced theology to relegate the body and feelings to the world of pre-human or the sub-human. He asserts that “what theology did not resolve in theory, spirituality resolved in practice” (No. 63). The popular piety in relation to Christ, such as the Stations of Cross, devotion to Christ’s wounds, his Sacred Heart and a variety of Eucharistic devotions are examples thereof. They bridged the gaps in theology by nourishing our hearts and igniting our inner spark.
The devotion to Christ’s heart expresses our faith and adoration to the mystery of Lord’s divine and human life. In this sense, we can affirm that the Sacred Heart is ‘a synthesis of the Gospel’ (No. 83).
The devotion to the Sacred Heart is clearly Christological in nature. At the same time, we need to realize that Jesus speaks of himself as the way to the Father (John 14:16). That is why the preaching of the Church does not end with Jesus, but with the Father. The heart of Christ is alive with the actions of the Holy Spirit whose sending he had promised at the Last Supper. It is the Spirit who enables us to grasp the sign of Christ’s pierced side from which the Church has sprung (cf. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 5). In order to understand the devotion to the Sacred Heart in its fullness, it is necessary, therefore, to understand it from a Trinitarian perspective, that is, Christ in his humanity, offered to the Father through the working of the Holy Spirit in each one of us. Thus whatever we offer to the heart of Christ is directed ultimately to the Father.
The encyclical of Pope Francis on the Sacred Heart is in no way an entirely new spirituality added to the tradition of Christian spirituality. It has been present in numerous ways in the realm of Christian spirituality. Pope Leo XIII, for example, encouraged the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Pius XI presented this devotion as a ‘summit’ of the experience of Christian faith. Pope Pius XII declared that the adoration of the Sacred Heart is a sublime synthesis of the worship we owe to Jesus Christ. St. John Paul II considered the growth of this devotion as ‘a response to the rise of rigorist and disembodied form of spirituality that neglected the richness of Lord’s mercy’. Pope Benedict XVI asked us to recognize in the heart of Christ an intimate and daily presence in our lives.
The devotion to Christ’s heart expresses our faith and adoration to the mystery of Lord’s divine and human life. In this sense, we can affirm that the Sacred Heart is ‘a synthesis of the Gospel’ (No. 83). Though we are not obliged to believe the vision of certain saints and mystics ‘as if they are the Word of God’, they are definitely rich sources of encouragement for some people on their spiritual journey. At the same time, we must be watchful of the fact that the devotion to the Sacred Heart does not owe its origin to private revelations (No. 83).
In order to build a civilization of love, the world is in dire need of the heart of Christ. Our external acts of charity, though they are commendable and valuable, need an inner vitality that brightens their perspective radiating from the heart of Christ.
The Pope has a special mention of the Eucharistic communion on the First Friday of each month. This practice sent a strong message at a time when many people stopped receiving holy communion as they were no more confident of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and considered holy communion as a kind of ‘reward for the perfect’ (No.84). According to the Pope, this practice is still valid in the modern world for a different reason. This could be an anti-dote amidst the frantic frenzy of the modern era addicted to consumerism and diversion, and shaped by social media. One hour adoration on Thursdays, in union with our brothers and sisters, is a devotional practice to be highly recommended in order to grow in the love of the heart of Jesus.
The secularists of the modern times might question these devotions as they are under the influence of a non-theistic worldview. The proliferation of varied forms of religiosity is another obstacle. The Pope warns the faithful that even within the Church there is an unfolding of these in one form or other. The devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Pope believes, offers an effective response to these threats.
There might be some who think that the devotion to the Sacred Heart is short of a firm theological foundation, says Pope Francis. Some may also question this devotion as the Risen Lord is reigning in glory. Here the sensus fidelium perceives something mysterious, beyond our human logic, and realizes that the passion of Christ is not an event of the past, but one in which we can share through faith. In the opinion of the Pope, this conviction has a solid theological grounding. We need to realize also that this risen heart preserves its wound as a constant memory. To explain it the Pope quotes St. Augustine. “Give me the one who loves, and he will understand what I say.” Therefore, the Pope remarks that let no one make light of the fervent devotion of the holy faithful people of God, which in its popular piety seeks to console Christ” (No.160). As we go through these lines of the encyclical, one may recall the controversy in some quarters of the Church over the crucifix and the cross without the image of Christ placed in the sanctuary of the churches.
How can we extend our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus to our brothers and sisters? Jesus said: “Just as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). This commitment to our brethren is constantly echoed in the history of Christian spirituality.
Considering this aspect of Christian life, the encyclical goes on to explain the social significance of ‘reparation to the heart of Christ’. To realize this goal, we need to build up, as St. John Paul II repeatedly reminds us, a ‘civilization of love’. A filial love for God and the love for our neighbor is its basic requirement. In order to build a civilization of love, the world is in dire need of the heart of Christ. Our external acts of charity, though they are commendable and valuable, need an inner vitality that brightens their perspective radiating from the heart of Christ. Thus the evangelical reparation possesses its core social dimension only when it is inspired, motivated and empowered by Christ. A complete reparation may seem to be impossible. Yet the intention to make reparation is essential for the process of reconciliation.
In Christian reparation, it is not enough to fulfill the demands of commutative justice, rather it presupposes two demanding conditions, namely acknowledging one’s guilt and asking forgiveness. Acknowledging our sins is not demeaning or offensive to our human dignity. In fact, self accusation is part of Christian wisdom pleasing to the Lord because he accepts our contrite hearts. It is a means of healing relationships. It reopens dialogue and re-establishes the level of fraternal charity.
The worship we offer to Christ on an individual level without considering the sufferings of our brethren, though it is tantamount to piety, is not a Christian experience in its totality. A private religious experience ignoring its implications for the society in which we live is to be eschewed. Our work to improve the quality of society must not obscure its religious inspiration either. This takes us to the missionary dimension of our love for the heart of Christ. As St. John Paul II remarked while speaking about the social dimension of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, our consecration to the heart of Christ is to be seen in relation to the Church’s missionary activity (No. 206). Addressing the religious congregations dedicated to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart, St. Paul VI made the following observation. “There can be no doubt that pastoral commitment and missionary zeal will fan into flame if priests and laity alike, in their desire to spread the glory of God, contemplate the example of eternal love that Christ has shown us, and direct their efforts to make all men and women sharers in the unfathomable richness of Christ” (No. 208).
The worship we offer to Christ on an individual level without considering the sufferings of our brethren, though it is tantamount to piety, is not a Christian experience in its totality. A private religious experience ignoring its implications for the society in which we live is to be eschewed. Our work to improve the quality of society must not obscure its religious inspiration either. This takes us to the missionary dimension of our love for the heart of Christ.
We can grow in friendship with Christ only in fellowship with our communities and with the whole Church. Apart from the community – religious, parochial, diocesan and others – our friendship with Jesus will lose spark. This love for our brethren has to be reflected first in our service within the community we live. Then it is extended to everyone, especially the poor and the marginalized of the society. Instead, if one is trapped in one’s own comfort zone, it will meet with disillusionment as if one is pursuing an elusive goal.
In conclusion, Pope Francis notes that the encyclical ‘Dilexit Nos’ is related to his social encyclicals ‘Laudato Si’ and ‘Fratelli Tutti’. All three documents are aiming at strengthening ties of brotherhood, affirming and valuing individual’s dignity, and working together for a shared humanity. This has become an urgent need as the world is becoming increasingly consumerist and depending too much on the power of money. In this global scenario only Christ’s love can give a heart to the world.
The love of Christ has to grow within the Church too. The outdated structures and concerns need to be replaced, and excessive attachment to one’s selfish motives and an obsession for sectarianism are hurdles in realizing the gratuitous and liberating love of God for our collective growth. For, his love alone brings about a new humanity.
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