If you knew where the door to God
was, would you open the door? If you had a gilded invitation from God, would you
accept it? If you discovered the path to God's dwelling, would you walk on it?
If God reached out for your touch, would you give it?
We have discovered that God, having created us, knew
us well enough to know that we could much easier approach God, which is God's
desire and yearning, if God were a person, like us. Thus the Incarnation.
God….becomes a human being….with breath and bones, strength and weariness, with
spirit and a personality: a human presence deeply aware of his purpose and
mission in this world.
The way it is described in the letter to the
Philippians, is in a hymn which goes like this: Jesus, though you are God, you
did not deem equality with God, something to be grasped at. Rather, you emptied
yourself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of human
beings. You were known to be of human estate, and it was thus that you humbled
yourself, obediently accepting death, even death on a cross. For this cause God
highly exalted you, giving you a name above all other names, so that at your
name, Jesus, every knee should bend, in heaven on earth and under the earth and
every tongue proclaim, to the glory of God the Father, that you, Jesus Christ
are Lord.
We are told, "the Heart of Jesus is the open door to
the secret recesses of God. Only by entering this door, shall we be able to
understand the greatness and holiness of God. Only by entering this door will we
understand our own dignity in the deepest meaning of the human person." (Pedro
Arrupe, S.J. In Him is Our Hope)
There is no better time than now for us to
listen carefully and take seriously what Jesus invited his friend, Thomas to
do, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into
my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27)
In our Catholic faith system, we have a treasure
beyond measure. It is the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus. Many of us
old-timers remember the practice of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart. It was
a "line in the sand" for many, stating clearly to whom the family paid
allegiance. We knew we were in a Catholic home by the picture of the Sacred
Heart visible to all.
Whether we choose an outward action, such as
intentionally proclaiming our readiness to follow Jesus more closely, through
the Enthronement, the reality is that we deeply thirst and hunger for that level
of intimacy with God, which it is Jesus' desire to fulfill in us. As Fr. Arrupe
said, Jesus' Heart is the door to our God. Jesus' Heart is our personal
invitation to intimacy with God. Jesus' Heart is the road, the way to God and
Jesus' Heart is the touch between God and us.
In the Heart of Jesus and in the spirituality of
this Heart, there is a new world to discover; the quest is well worth the
effort.
**There is a National Enthronement Center,
established by the religious of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC)
which has a website. The preparation for, and ritual of the enthronement can
be found by searching "enthronement of the Sacred Heart in homes".
My name is Sr. Barbara Beasley. I am a Sister of
the Good Shepherd, having made vows a little over 50 years ago. The main
outreach of our Congregation is to women and girls on the fringes of
society. Some of the causes are: the experience of serious trauma in the
home; a fracturing of the ability to trust and to build healthy
relationships; failing to succeed in face of numerous placements in care
facilities and foster homes; addictions which lead to further self
destructive actions. The Sisters, together with dedicated lay partners, whom
we call "Good Shepherd people" work in urban settings, in rural communities,
in institutions, on the streets. The Congregation was founded in France in
1835 by St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier and is present in more than 70
countries. My present ministry is with the Office of Mission Effectiveness.
I am a member of a team of three, whose ministry is to promote the Good
Shepherd values, history, heritage and charism within our Good Shepherd
programs and ministries in our Province (region). I have also served in
leadership within our Province, having finished a term of office in 2008.
