Catechist Know How July 2007

Adopting the Heart of Jesus

By Mary Lou Rosien

We just completed our parish mission. It promised to transform us, to change us, to set our hearts on fire for the Lord. It succeeded. The Lord succeeded.

The focus of the mission was the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We were reminded of how He delights in us, suffers with us and deeply loves us. My family enthroned the Sacred Heart in our home ten years ago. We tried to create a holy family. We prayed our family rosary and went to daily Mass. We home schooled our children and prayed by their beds at night … and then they grew and we grew … complacent.

When we moved we had our new house blessed and gave the image of the Sacred Heart a prominent place. As we decorated the walls with art, we moved the image around. It wasn’t until this mission we realized that we had moved the image right out of sight and the Lord’s constant love out of mind.

When did we stop focusing on the love of Christ? We never stopped going to Mass or praying, but we, well, forgot. I wondered why our home no longer felt peaceful, while we were ignoring that at the heart of peace is love. Faith is sometimes like that, we become comfortable with it instead of being on fire for it and for the Lord. The Lord promises to spit out the lukewarm (Rev. 3:16), yet lukewarm was what my family had become.

This mission reminded me of Christ’s love for me and how I need to be an imitator of Christ. How can we rekindled the fire of faith and love in our hearts and in our classrooms?

Find an image of the Sacred Heart that moves your own heart when you look at it. My husband presented me with a beautiful image on my birthday, which coincided with the last night of the mission.
Enroll your home or classroom in the Sacred Heart. Spend time preparing. Invite church members, parents of your students, and friends to participate in the enthronement with you.
Whenever you feel your own heartbeat, remind yourself that Christ’s heart beats within yours. Make this practice a one-minute daily meditation. Teach it to your students.
Start each day by asking God to lend you His heart to love others, forgive others and serve others.
Remind yourself and your students that Christ loves each of us personally, not just humankind in general.
Read Bible stories that remind you of Christ’s love. Some to consider: Jesus and the Little Children (Mark 10:13-16), Jesus feeds the Four Thousand (Matt. 15:32-39), or The Penitent Woman (Luke 7:36-41).
Participate in your parish missions and retreats. Make it a priority and encourage your students and their families to attend also. We will be drawn closer to the Lord as individuals and as a parish community.

Mary Lou Rosien writes from North Chili, NY, where she lives with her husband and seven children. She is the author of Managing Stress with the Help of your Catholic Faith (OSV). Email her with questions or topic ideas at mrosien@rochester.rr.com.