"I must say that in the past I was not always as on board as I should have been when it came to the Feast of the Sacred Heart. As a man, I have struggled especially with some of the Sacred Heart images of past years, especially from the 1940s into the 1970s that, frankly, made Jesus look like a bearded lady. Deep red lips, baby soft skin, 'come-hither' look, 'feminine' head tilt, long slender fingers, and strangely bent wrists all seemed too feminine for me. See for example the image here: Sacred Heart. Frankly, the feminized portrayal of Jesus made me cringe. 'Maybe this works for some,' I thought, 'but not for me.' Women are beautiful, but men shouldn't look like women.
"Then too, the whole notion of the heart has become rather distorted. The heart is thought of by most as the domain of sentimental feelings and romance. Stronger biblical notions of the heart were lost in favor of these sentimental and romantic ones. . . .
"In recent years, I have tried to recover a more proper notion of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. I have done this by coming to understand the heart in a more biblical way. I have also done this by learning to understand the heart of Christ in a stronger way that is more helpful for me."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish,
Washington, DC) reflected on the love of "the true and deep Heart of Christ, a heart tender but also strong."
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Community in Mission: From Simply Sentimental to Strong and Sure - A Consideration of Devotion to the Sacred Heart (11 JUN 21)
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