The Heartbeat of Jesus +

The measure of time and a marital exchange of hearts:

Years ago I wrote a post about what it would be like if we measured time by the heartbeat of Jesus. (Click on the brown for another good reflection from a Pope.) Isn’t this truly how the universe should be? I often explain how my life revolves around the Eucharist. This is how I live the Mass –I spend my life in thanksgiving from the last Mass that I was able to attend and in preparation for the next Mass where I will throw on the altar all of my life experiences, the people I encountered, prayed (and suffered) for, my joys, my intentions… and in-between these two Masses I keep my heart anchored to the 4 chalices offered on the altars throughout the world every second. Now, that’s a lot of Masses –that is my hope in living a Eucharistic life and being Jesus’ Eucharistic wife. St. Agatha’s life inspired writing by some bishops who said that:

The woman who invites us to this banquet is both a wife and virgin. To use the analogy of Paul, she is the bride who has been betrothed to one husband, Christ. A true virgin, she wore the glow of pure conscience and the crimson of the Lamb’s blood for her cosmetics. Again and again she meditated on the death of her eager lover. For her, Christ’s death was recent, his blood was still moist. Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ. It bears the indelible marks of his crimson blood and the shining threads of her eloquence. She offers to all who come after her these treasures of her eloquent confession.

As Agatha was ‘wife’ by her suffering with Jesus, I want to be ‘wife’ by my suffering, prayer, love and as well by my Eucharistic life –where He and I exchange hearts –where we both say, ‘This is my body I give to you; this is my blood I give to you; this is my mind, my heart, my emotions, my spirit, my soul that I give to you…’ Jesus truly comes to live in me as I live in Him when we say ‘Yes’ to His marital invitation and say, “I want to exchange my life with yours.” It is an intimate family affair of the heart.

Jesus’ Heart is my refuge, fortress, defense and home:

Have you ever visited a castle? When I was in Spain I did (and I took Johnny with me). We visited all the nooks and cranny’s of a mid-evil castle crawling around all of the hidden places of the fortress. I’ve visited one in Czech as well.  This was the first time I actually understood what it meant for God’s Heart (and Love) and embracing Arms being a fortress and a defense for me. Castles have fortresses –they are built as protection for the most important people during a war. There are outer walls and inner walls and holes for canons to hide in order to protect the queen and king and their family. We are all royalty when it comes to God’s family and His Heart is open like an invitation (“Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” He said –but He stands at the door knocking for us to open and ENTER HIS Heart.) Scripture says that our war is not with earthly power as much as with evil spirits. Ephesians describes this war and the weapons we need (and which we find tucked into the Heart of Jesus waiting for us):

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and with your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit…” –Ephesians 6:10-18

Jesus’ Heart is my measure of virtue:

How can you measure Love? Its pretty much impossible. But no matter what I have or don’t have to say in Confession, all I have to do is hold my life and heart up to the Heart of Jesus and I find some speck of dust that shouldn’t be there. When we measure our lives not by others or even our own expectations, but instead measure it by the standard of Christ’s Love for us, we always see room for improvement –not only steadily forward, but exponentially as well.

Jesus’ Heart is my thermometer of Love:

Do I have a fever yet? Who wants a fever? I do! When it comes to having a fever of Love for and with Jesus’ divine Heart burning on the altars of heaven and earth. Its another (and the last for today) way that I use the Heart of Jesus to help me become ‘she who God created me to be…’ All I have to do is press Jesus’ Heart close up against my own and ‘zap’ –I see how hot (or cold) my heart’s love for Him and for my neighbor has grown…

Just a few thoughts on the Heart of Jesus this Feast of Corpus Christi (the Feast of His Eucharistic Heart and Love) and at the beginning of this month of June dedicated to the Heart of Jesus. Take a few minutes today to close your eyes, shut out the world and listen –to truly listen- to the heartbeat of Jesus. He wants to be our comfort (the way an infant is comforted by the beat of his mother's heart.) The music of His Heartbeat makes the mundane words of mine (our) own seem like ‘noise’ regardless of how profound we may have seemed to be. Only His Heartbeat is steady, full, deep, profound, strong Love that is constant… constantly calling, inviting, opening (tempting in a way) our hearts to know and embrace His Own.

Once again today I find myself praying, ‘Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus!’