The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus comes to us as an invitation to penetrate more deeply the mystery of the humanity of Christ, who out of great love laid down his life for us and poured out that wondrous love by opening his heart on the cross, bidding us to that fountain of precious blood and living water---the blood of the sacrifical lamb, and the water of the Spirit, baptism and eucharist.  We want to drink deeply of the spring of eternal life.

The Creator of all who once opened the side of the first man to fashion Eve, now opens the side of Christ to give birth to the Church, his bride.  Adam was put into a deep sleep when his side was opened; now the author of life, who sleeps the sleep of death, has his side opened by divine decree that permitted the soldier, without incurring sin, to strike the heart of Christ so that scripture might be fulfilled, they shall look on him whom they have pierced. 

We gaze lovingly at his wounded heart, and are so moved that we desire too to have our hearts wounded by the fire of his love, a wound that heals our defective hearts, a wounded heart thirsting for the blood of the lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  The mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus we are invited to penetrate is the mystery of God’s human heart, allowing our hearts to thirst for him and be wounded, so that the more we love, the more we desire to love, the more our hearts suffer and are wounded, the more we find healing.  What was hidden and unseen by mortal eye, is now made visible in the open heart of Christ; what was inaccessible is now a fountain of eternal life.

At the death of Jesus, the earth shook and hard rocks were split.  The Sacred Heart enables our stony hearts to become flesh and beat with the heart of Christ, and to drink deeply of the living water that wells up to eternal life.  This is the will of God for you, your holiness (1 Thess 4:3).  If the wounded world is to become holy, it needs the prayers and works of saints who dwell in the heart of Christ.  This Sacred Heart invites us to such holiness.