Since it was Mary who gave birth to Jesus, it seems only fitting that Mother’s Day and the month of May, which is dedicated to the Blessed Mother, precede Father’s Day and June, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Given the preeminence of motherhood, more may be nuanced by the order of these months than is readily apparent – all of which began in the Garden of Eden. The word Eve in Hebrew means “to breathe” or “to give life,” which explains why the serpent approached Eve before Adam.
Satan knew that if he convinced the one who was meant to give life to disobey the law of God, Adam, whose name in Hebrew means “clay” or “soil,” would follow. However, because sin could never be the last word, God reversed the effects of sin by becoming the New Adam while instilling Mary as the New Eve.
As Christians, we can claim Mary as our mother and God as our Father because Jesus said, “Whoever sees me, sees the Father” (Jn 14: 9b).
In taking on our human body, the Word of God became visible to those who lived with him in first century Palestine. Yet, after rising from the dead, and ascending into heaven, Jesus retained his human body – though in a glorified state.
When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and asked that we revere the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he appeared with his heart burning with love for us.
The heart is essential to human life, but more than an organ that pumps blood through the body,
the heart is a symbol of love and self-giving. What could be more self-giving than the Divine Mercy of Jesus?
Every moment of every day, Jesus’ Sacred Heart pumps spiritual life throughout the Body of Christ. As Catholics, how privileged we are to be able to receive him into our own body, not as a symbol, but as life-giving food to sustain us for the journey.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. Without the Eucharist there would be no Church, which should prompt us all the more to want to receive it worthily and as often as possible.
When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, he revealed how he is wounded by even the slightest fault. His words should motivate us to strive to refrain from even venial sins.
Sadly, it appears the world has become so desensitized to sin, that it no longer shocks us. When
we believe the great lie that denies the presence of sin, we place our spiritual life in jeopardy. This is
the reason Jesus asked us to honor his Sacred Heart. In doing so, it would be difficult to treat sin as a psychological defect or the result of human nature.
Today, more than ever, when the right to life is being litigated in the courts, we should have recourse to Mary, the New Eve, who consented to bear the Son of God in her womb. True to her role as the New Eve, Mary is a model for all women. Despite the difficulties that her saying “Yes” to God would incur, not only during her pregnancy, but through- out her life on earth, Mary’s fiat was ongoing and unconditional.
Although we often look to Joseph as a model for earthly fathers, let’s not forget that God is our heavenly Father and that in honoring Jesus, we are also honoring the Father.
There is a tendency for some to reduce our thinking about Jesus to strictly human dimensions, which is why Jesus revealed in Scripture and to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque the fullness of his majesty as the glorified second person of the Blessed Trinity.
These unfathomable mysteries are more than the human minds can appreciate on their own. This is the reason Jesus continues to reveal himself to saints — not for their own aggrandizement, but for the good of his body, the Church.
Although the Church is a divine institution, God left it to weak and sinful human beings to perpetuate it on Earth. Considering abuses that have been brought to light, we are more aware than ever of the need for divine assistance.
As we enter June, let us turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to help us increase our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in the Eucharist and in the tabernacle where Jesus waits for us to visit him often. And so we pray:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Barbara Hughes is an author, retreat facilitator and spiritual guide. She lives in Virginia Beach and can be reached at [email protected].