Jun 30 2009
A Language For Our Times
In my post of May 15, 2009 “Seek Only The Divine Will“, I shared one of the DFOT videos (Segment 15, Message dated October 8/04, Vol. 10). About three-quarters of the way through, Anne says:
…and if you’re very quiet you can start to hear this beating of the Sacred Heart, this rhythmic beating constantly in your day, and then when you become used to the silence in your soul and this presence of the Lord, this beating of the Lord’s Heart, that’s all you hear, and nothing else really makes sense. And if you pull away from this rhythmic beating you get lonesome, you get anxious, you get frightened, and you’ll see those symptoms and immediately you’ll run back to Christ, and then you’ll get back into the rhythm of the beating of the Sacred Heart. Once you learn to move through your days accompanied by that rhythmic beating of the Lord’s Sacred Heart, you really find yourself freezing when you lose it.
I was listening to this again not long ago, and as I was reflecting on it, I felt compelled to go and get “The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus“, by Father John Croiset, S.J., off my bookshelf. After reading several pages from different chapters, I fell upon these lines [emphasis is mine]:
What St. Gertrude has written on this subject has been frequently quoted; a few words will suffice to recall it. Her historian relates that the beloved Disciple, St. John, appeared to her on one occasion, and that she asked her heavenly visitor how it was that he, whose head had reposed on the breast of the Saviour at the Last Supper, kept complete silence about the throbbing of the adorable Heart of his Master; and she expressed regret to him that he had said nothing about it for our instruction. The saint replied to her: “My mission was to write for the Church, still in its infancy, something about the uncreated Word of God the Father, something which of itself alone would give exercise to every human intellect to the end of time, something that no one would ever succeed in fully understanding. As for the language of these blessed beats of the Heart of Jesus, it is reserved for the last ages when the world, grown old and become cold in the love of God, will need to be warmed again by the revelation of these mysteries.
[The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father John Croiset, S.J., pages 83-84]
And I’ve read an interesting take on why St. John refers to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (for the most part), rather than saying “I” or “myself” — perhaps he wanted us to know that we are to be the beloved disciple, are welcomed to take the beloved disciple place at His table. I don’t know, and I don’t want to be heretical or anything, but sometimes when someone’s so wounded that I don’t dare offer even one stinking word of “It’ll be alright,” I just mentally-prayerfully push them toward that place/embrace at His table and hope they’ll lay their ear against the Heart, and know. That’s the only good time for any of us to step away from His breast.
I think the wonderful thing is that Jesus is telling us there’s no need to “step away from his breast” even in our desire to bring others closer to Him – that the beating of His Sacred Heart is available to all, always, constantly. I believe It is what sustains the whole universe and all of creation. I have read somewhere that before we go to sleep, we should ask Jesus to allow our hearts to beat all night in rhythm and unison with His own.
You’ve mentioned/quoted Jesuits a couple times in the past few posts.. they are among the book-smartest of priests, and ever the most martyred orthodox Order, yet (with a few exceptions) they look for the deeply Personal of Christ and are able to pass it along (or quote someone who does) well enough so as to break through a slow stubborn donkey’s wall of Duh. Hence, I not only remained Catholic, but I see more and more that the Lord is present in all things at all times. (Or as Julian of Norwich put it, too, He lovingly holds the earth/universe in the palm of his hand like a little hazelnut, i.e., if not for Him, our world itself simply would not continue.)
Regarding the quiet needed (per Anne’s statement), and in thinking of the (Jesuit finding-God-in-all-things) Christly Personal, even illness can be seen as a Godsend. Er, at least for a few days, tho’ it is not our favorite way to be corraled with Him. One more way He brings Good out of what isn’t. Where would any of us be without Him calling us aside now and then?
Presently, I am more aware of His expectant waiting than a Heartbeat, but perhaps it’s because I’ve fallen away from the Sacraments these weeks, a long and uncharitable story. Suffice it to say I plan to go out of town this weekend (to a Fr. Mark-less parish) to get that fixed. I’m tired of living without His very heart. For me, it’s to not live at all.
And of course, we should/could precede the nightly request of having our hearts beat in unison with Jesus by an examen of conscience.
Unless we’ve already fallen asleep with the rosary dangling from our fist… or a Jesuit tome across our face…
Hope you find a church home soon, C, or can come to heart-terms with whatever’s going on… went to noon Mass today at the Lourdes Grotto here; so beautiful, all the colours of nature around, glorious sunshine, Our Lady looking down over us from her special place – one couldn’t ask for a more beautiful way to begin the week.
Wow.. a Lourdes Grotto.. that is indeed a beautiful way to start the week. I’m gonna try to fall asleep with a Jesuit tome across my face tonight. Or did you mean I should fall asleep while reading it?