Sacred Heart of Jesus, synthesis of the Gospel

After receiving some negative tragic news last night in my family with my mum being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer -  I decided today to lift my spirits and read Pope Francis’ new encyclical on the Sacred Heart, called “Delixit nos”. I am so very glad I did! 

It is an impressive systematic summary of the meaning, symbolism and spiritual development of devotion to the Sacred Heart. I have not finished it all yet, but I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/20241024-enciclica-dilexit-nos.html

I have spent time all afternoon today making these picture quotes of the encyclical, to help highlight the parts I found especially touching or beautiful. I am only up to section 156 out of a total of 220 sections. I hope they help reinvigorate and inspire your devotion to and understanding of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 🙏

Pope Francis reiterates throughout that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in based in scripture, it is Trinitarian, historical, spiritually transformative and as much relevant today than ever because it is a synthesis of the Gospel. The Sacred Heart of Christ burning with love for us and the Father, seeks us out and offers us a personal encounter with Himself - Love incarnate, so that our hearts will be made whole and transformed with Jesus in the furnace of His Divine Love. 

This is the best Encyclical that Pope Francis has published so far in his Pontificate 

The deeper mystery of the Transfiguration

The Transfiguration of Our Lord on Mount Tabor is one of the more mysterious events of the Gospels that can easily be overlooked, brushed over, minimised or misunderstood. It is mentioned in all 3 of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36), and also in the Letter of Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18). So it is an important and significant moment in scripture that we need to humbly and prayerfully meditate upon. 

Usually there have been two interpretations of this event: 

• One takes the theophany approach similar to when Jesus was baptised in the Jordan - where the voice of the Father says “this is my Beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. This is a theophany - God manifesting and appearing. In this interpretation it is that Jesus’ Divinity is being manifested and it is a theophany of the Trinity revealing the identity of Jesus as also the Second Person of the Trinity. Linked in with this is the emphasis on Jesus manifesting his glory to the Apostles to strengthen and prepare them for the scandal of the crucifixion. 

• The other approach is the typology/symbolic one that focuses on the presence of Moses & Elijah. This emphasises that Moses represents the Law, while Elijah represents the Prophets - and so the presence of them both is to demonstrate that Jesus himself is the fulfilment of both the Law & the Prophets in his very being. So it is seen as a confirmation of the ministry and message of Jesus as the promised Christ who fulfills the Law and also with the spirit of Elijah is inaugurating the end times as prophesied. 

Both of these traditional interpretations are true and very beautiful. My intention is not to downplay them or invalidate them, but to deepen their power by highlighting another aspect of the Transfiguration. 

As a Carmelite I have a special devotion to the theme of sacred mountains within scripture. This is one of the reasons I always felt attracted to the Carmelites, because of their connection to Mt Carmel and the Prophet Elijah. Scripture references multiple holy mountains as places of encounter with God or worship to God - Moriah, Sinai, Zion, Horeb, Carmel, Tabor, Calvary (Golgotha). There are also prophecies about worshiping God on his mountain in Isaiah 2:3 and the place of heavenly worship with the angels Hebrews 12:22. 

According to tradition, the Mountain of the Transfiguration is called Mount Tabor. The deeper significance of the appearance of Moses and Elijah in this theophany can easily be overlooked. Not only are Moses & Elijah present with Jesus on Mount Tabor, but they are also talking with him. This is a significant detail, but why? The Gospel of Luke tells us that they are discussing his exodus - his departure to Jerusalem. Both Moses and Elijah also each had their own exodus when they travelled through the desert.  

But there is also another deeper explanation that is not just symbolic, but says that Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus at the Transfiguration is linked to their own personal encounters with God on a mountain. 

Both Moses & Elijah had a unique powerful encounter with God on a mountain, where the Lord manifested himself and spoke to them. The Lord manifested himself to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:2-9, 27-28) and to Elijah on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19: 11-18).  Both of them cover their faces and bow in worship to the Lord when He manifests himself to them. This is because no one can see the Face of God and live (Exodus 33:20). But now in Jesus, we can see the Father because to see Jesus is to see the Father (John 14:9).  

So what does this have to do with the Transfiguration? We often understand this event as Moses and Elijah being brought to Tabor and appearing with Jesus. So we assume this is a separate event in and of itself. But what if we understood it differently as not an isolated event… what if the event of the Transfiguration the the Apostles were witnessing was also the very moments when Moses & Elijah encountered the Lord? This would mean that the Apostles were witnessing the exact moments when the Lord spoke to Moses on Sinai and Elijah on Horeb simultaneously - all at once in the event of the Transfiguration! Thus witnessing that the Son who the Father is well pleased in, is the same one who partially manifested to Moses and Elijah, but is now fully manifested and revealed in the flesh as the Christ to the Apostles! 

Understanding it this way makes the whole event come so much more alive for me. It connects the theophanies to Moses and Elijah and brings them to Christological fulfilment at the Transfiguration. I cannot claim that this is my own personal insight that I have discovered or invented, but I did hear it from someone else although I cannot remember where. I think I might have heard this from Dr Brant Pitre? But I am not entirely sure. 

Either way, may this different perspective of the Transfiguration help you to enter deeper into the mystery of the Trinity and the saving power of the Word made Flesh - Immanuel (John 1:14), Our Lord Jesus Christ who will one day share with us His Glory (1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18) and bring us face to face with God (Hebrews 1:3, 1 Corinthians 13:12). 

The God who revealed himself to Moses in the Burning Bush and on Sinai through the Law, the God who revealed himself to Elijah in the breeze - is the same God now fully revealed and manifested to us in the Transfiguration and on Calvary. The God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob, the God of Moses and Elijah, Our Lord and God Jesus Christ is preparing for us the Heavenly Jerusalem on Mount Zion so that we will live forever in His Presence (Revelatiom 21:2-4) in eternal glory, where He dwells in His own inaccessible light (1 Timothy 6:16). 

This is the ancient mystery kept secret but now revealed to us (Colossians 1:26-28), the First Born of all creation who is the Image of the Invisible Father (Colossians 1:15-19), has saved us from darkness and made us his coheirs to share in His Kingdom (Colossians 1:11-14) where the Lord himself will be our light (Revelation22:3-6). We share now but imperfectly, in this glorious mystery whenever celebrate the Sacrifice of the Eucharist - the Mystery of Faith (1 Corinthians 11:26) we proclaim at every Mass. The Risen Christ hidden and revealed to us in the Eucharist, fills us with the same light and glory He shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 16: 12-15, John 17:1-26), that was magnificently shown to the Apostles at the Transfiguration. 

Jesus Christ is the total and complete revelation of God - the Holy Trinity - Father, Son & Holy Spirit. The mysterious theophanies of the Old Testament only make sense in light of the New Testament, because they were actually Christophanies - revealing the revelation of Christ that can only be understood and tasted in the Eucharist (Luke 24:13-35). The New and Eternal Covenant (Hebrews 13:20, Luke 22:20, Matthew 26:28, is the Light that enlightens the gentiles and gives glory to Israel (Luke 2:32) - the light of the Resurrection (Philippians 3:21) that was revealed briefly on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration. 

The spirit of criticism blinds you to the state of your soul

Today in the Office of Readings in the Divine Office, there is a very interesting (and relevant to us today) homily by St Augustine. He makes the connection between those people who always criticise others as being unable to conquer their own sins, so they focus on everyone else. In the modern day we call this “spiritual bypassing” where we ignore our personality flaws or issues and try to replace it with a facade of piety that makes you feel better about yourself but is not done out of love for God. This it is a form of false piety and not authentic spirituality. 

St Augustine then discusses the sacrifice that God accepts according to Psalm 51:16-19. Often our spiritual life is based upon doing the things that we like, we want to do and we think everyone else should be doing. But there is no transformation of the will in this approach. When our spiritual life focuses on us needing to change, to be transformed and to be holy - this is then the right path of purity of heart. When our intentions and desires conform to what God wants of us, and not on what we want or think is best. 

It takes true humility to redirect our attention to critiquing others, and to look inward at our faults. I do not mean this as a type of low self esteem with negative thoughts about ourselves. But rather a true understanding of the talents God has given us, and the particular vices and temptations we struggle with. Refocusing our attention on our own sinfulness is what creates humility in us. A true understanding of our identity that without the grace of God we cannot do anything good or pleasing to God. Once we get understand what a slave to sin we are, we can then develop compassion for others who are also enslaved to sin and learn to pray for them instead of criticising or condemning them. 

The temptation going back as far as Adam & Eve is to blame others and criticise others. But true spiritual freedom is only looking at our own sins and faults, and understanding that it is only through Christ and the Holy Spirit that we are able to be pleasing to God and to live in love. Without love nothing is pleasing to God. So we need to learn to constantly battle deep within our heart and discern between God’swill for us and our own sinful will that tries to find excuses, hide and blame others, constantly criticising but never changing or growing in charity. 

We are not alone in this struggle. Each and everyone of us is going through this and must go through this. But we know that through our identity with Christ and embracing our cross - rather than merely accepting it begrudgingly, that yoked together with Jesus and strengthened by the Holy Spirit we can be victorious in the struggle and attain purity of heart. The single minded desire and comformity of our will to the Will of God.

Conformity to the Image of Christ as spiritual perfection

In the Office of Readings for today, there is a wonderful reflection by St Gregory of Nyssa on Christian Perfection. He uses 3 images to help illustrate his point - a pearl, pure stream and stamp. 

It is important to note that in patristic terminology the word “passions” refers to disordered desires, and so has a negative meaning. This is different from our modern understanding of being “passionate” as something that is positive. 

All of us by virtue of our baptism are conformed to Christ. We are recreated in His Image, and sealed by the Holy Spirit in Confirmation. This is the foundation of our entire spiritual life as Christians, and it gives us the grace needed in our life as we follow Christ. St Gregory reminds us that our following Christ must be in our thoughts, words and deeds. All 3 are necessary. 

The more that we confirm our thoughts, words and deeds/actions to Christ then as we progress spiritually Christ will be made manifest in our life. We will begin to reflect Him to others, the light of Christ shining through us helping other people to encounter Him through the beauty of our holiness. This beauty of God that shines through us attracts others to God and draws them into relationship to the most Holy Trinity.  This is not our own doing, but instead it is the work of the Trinity in us through our identity in Christ and our continual conformity to His Image that we bear through the life of grace.