Reparation of the Sacred Heart

If you were to see a person you loved, entirely disrespected, their dignity disregarded, humiliated from a place of cruelty – what would you do to the victim?

I’d say there are two realities to address with that person: the wound that has been afflicted upon them, and the absence of justice & love that is owed to them.

As we prepare to enter into June, which is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus one of the Catholic Themes we navigate is “reparation.” Many look at this spiritual practice as archaic, as if “God can take care of Himself.” But these statements are the statements of theologians without integrating a love for Christ.

If you saw your savior slapped, would you not rush towards Him to extend to Him the love that was owed it Him, even if He didn’t need it? Would you not feel as though a debt had been incurred to Him and you would seek to fill it?

Reparation of the Sacred Heart is to bring about healings not so much because God lacks the Love He needs – He has that in full by the Father. Nonetheless our heart aches that Christ receives the Love that justice demands, that a relationship with Him throbs for.

This is also a generous act on behalf of those who have offended Him, including our own personal offences (since we have all sinned). We pay in part, on their behalf part of the debt of their own sin, joining our sufferings to what is lacking in the Cross of Christ. We do this as a way of praying for such sinners (including ourselves) whereby we show God that the whole Body of Christ is seeking healing.

There is no shortage of offenses towards our Lord in the Church today, and if you’ve gone to confession or should have gone to confession recently, this applies to each one of us. Let us see our fasting, our suffering humiliations, taking the last place, abstaining from pleasure moderately as an opportunity of giving Christ what was owed to Him but was not given to Him.

Photo: Public Domain