Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus isn’t just some old tradition, is it? It’s about a Heart that beats—truly beats—for every single person. A Heart that bled, literally, till the very last drop, when that soldier’s lance pierced His side (Jn. 19:34). Just imagine that—a Heart so full of love, it emptied itself for us.
And what do we often do? Though every family may have a portrait or statue of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the altar, we still behave as inhumane, ungrateful creatures, wandering off into our own little worlds, hurting Him over and over again through others. We forget, we doubt, we deny, and even take revenge. But the mystery is that the most compassionate Heart of Jesus doesn’t judge us or condemn. It just embraces us. It pulls us close, even when we least deserve it.
The Bible paints a vivid picture of this profound compassion. Time and again, we read how Jesus was “moved with compassion” (Mt. 9:36; Mk. 6:34). When He saw the crowds, He saw them as “like sheep without a shepherd”—lost, vulnerable, needing guidance. This wasn’t a detached observation; it was a deep, internal ache for their suffering.
His compassion was intensely personal too. When He drew near and saw the city—Jerusalem—He wept over it (Lk. 19:41–44), grieving for those who would not recognize the path to peace. And at the tomb of Lazarus, as He witnessed the grief of Martha and Mary, “Jesus wept” (Jn. 11:35). These are lead-ins into the very soul of God, revealing a merciful, compassionate, and empathetic person. This is the Heart that beats for humanity—a Heart that truly feels for you and for me.
The Gospel of St. Matthew further highlights Jesus’ concern for the vulnerable with those tender words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). This is an open call to everyone struggling, feeling lost, and burdened by life’s hardships—not to the perfect! It’s an invitation directly from that Sacred Heart, yearning to offer solace and peace.
I want to share a simple, touching story about a man, Thomas. He was like us—flawed, and often made a mess of things.
One day, Thomas was sitting alone in his small, quiet house, surrounded by the rubble of his life. The silence was deafening, amplified by the turmoil in his own mind. His heart had turned to stone from bitterness, pushing away the comfort he secretly craved. He felt too lost for any love. Perhaps, as Ezekiel spoke, he needed a “heart of flesh” to replace his “heart of stone” (Ezek. 36:26).
He vaguely remembered a childhood picture of the Sacred Heart—Jesus pointing to His Heart, radiating light. In his deepest despair, a quiet thought surfaced: “Will Jesus love and accept me?” Closing his eyes, he saw a weary Jesus, His Heart not just pierced but eternally overflowing with compassion, echoing the invitation: “Come to me.”
It was a simple moment, but Thomas said it felt like a dam had burst. He wept—not from despair, but from a profound sorrow for his coldness, woven with an overwhelming sense of being seen and embraced by tenderness. He truly felt the embrace of mercy—love offered despite his failings, a healing touch stronger than all his pain.
From that day, Thomas’s life didn’t miraculously transform overnight. The problems were still there. But he was different. That encounter—that quiet, internal experience of the Sacred Heart’s embrace—had changed something essential within him. He started going back to church, not out of obligation, but out of a deep yearning. He began to pray, offering his brokenness. He began to apologize to those he had hurt—humbly, genuinely.
He often spoke about that moment of his “re-discovery.” He would say, “I thought I knew about God’s love, but I never understood His mercy until I felt it despite everything I had done. It wasn’t earned. It was just… given. Like a bleeding Heart reaching out for me, even when I was running away.”
This is the very essence of the Sacred Heart—a Heart that was “moved with compassion,” a Heart that wept, a Heart that calls out: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.”
This is the beauty of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s not a Heart that waits for us to be perfect. It’s a Heart that continually beats for us, aches for us, and reaches out to us, even when we are ungrateful, even when we hurt Him. It tells us that no matter how far we’ve strayed or messed up, that divine, compassionate Heart is always open—ready to embrace us, to heal us, and to draw us back into the warmth of His love, whispering: “Come, come back home.”
And in that whisper, in that gentle invitation, lies the true power and profound comfort of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—an ultimate example of undeserved, boundless mercy that never gives up on us.
On this feast day, let us ask Jesus to make our hearts like His—merciful, compassionate, forgiving, and ever embracing.
Sr. Molly Fernandes SFN is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Sancoale, Goa, India. She currently serves as the Directress of the Holy Family Communication Centre and editor of the congregation’s magazine. A speaker and writer, she actively evangelizes through mass media, using communication as a tool for faith formation and outreach.
