The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

As we look at the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we notice many symbols: Flames, Rays of Light, Crown of Thorns, The Cross, The Open Wound. Each of these expresses some aspect of God’s love for us.

Flames: In the Gospel, Jesus says that He has come to set fire to the earth—the fire that He longs to set is the fire of divine love, the fire of the Holy Spirit, in each human heart. One prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus says, “Oh Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for You.”

Rays of Light: The Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded by rays of light, as if rays of light are emanating from it. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says He is the light of the world. What does light do? It shines in and dissipates the darkness, and it reveals the truth.

Crown of Thorns: We remember that during His Passion, the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. In one of His revelations to St. Margaret Mary, Jesus told her that the crown of thorns symbolizes our individual sins, which prick His heart.

The Cross: In the Gospels, Jesus hangs upon the cross as He dies for us. In the image of the Sacred Heart, the Heart of Jesus no longer hangs upon the Cross, but rather the Cross stands atop the Sacred Heart. It was the Divine Love of the Sacred Heart that willingly accepted death on the Cross for our sake, and it is that same Divine Love that transforms the Cross into the most powerful act of redemption.

The Open Wound: After Jesus dies on the cross, a soldier pierces His Heart with a lance, and blood and water flow out—the mercy of God floods the world. The open wound in the image of the Sacred Heart shows us that the Heart of Jesus is always open to us, His mercy always available to us, that He never closes His Heart to us.