One of my favorite paintings of Jesus is one that hangs in one of the St. Joseph Seminary (Dunwoodie NY) upstair chapels that depicts His Sacred Heart with the Latin phrase; “Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum,” which means “For He So Loved the World.” This image of our Lord is something that one can just stare at and meditate on! The translation, “For He So Loved the World,” just says it all. When I personally look at this image, it is love that stands out. A common saying that is heard frequently is how “God is Love,” but have we ever asked ourselves what the meaning of this is? During my philosophical studies in the college seminary, we learned that to say, “God is Love,” means that God is not only full of love, it is to say that God IS Love. God, who IS Being, is the source of all being. God is not a being, He IS Being. Since God IS Love, then God is the source of all love. This painting shows me what true love really looks like. True love requires suffering and because Jesus’s love for us is incalculable, He gave up his very life to save us from sin. Jesus’s suffering is depicted in this painting in a such a way that our own senses can feel it! It is through Jesus where love is at its most fullest and purist sense.
One can receive a better sense of Jesus’s love when you look into His eyes. His eyes say it all! You can see the suffering by the way he looks at you with his “redish” watery brown eyes. What’s even more powerful is how the painting depicts a tear rolling down His cheek. This reminds me of how Jesus looks upon the world in sadness because of the many sins committed against Him. It reminds me how much we choose ourselves and our selfish needs before Jesus. Jesus is always waiting to talk to us, but how many times do we ignore Him? His love is so powerful that His desire for our friendship is stronger than that of our best friends, as indicated by the burning heart shown in his chest. Jesus desires intimacy with each of us and wants to help us overcome sin so as to be with Him in Heaven for all eternity. Since love requires suffering, how much are we willing to suffer in today’s world so as to stand up for Jesus when His sacred name is tarnished? How much are we willing to suffer by standing up for the Church that He established, which is being persecuted in many different parts of the world? Do we understand the extent of Jesus’s love for us, or do we think Jesus is just some divine figure far away from us? These questions are important for us to ask ourselves despite being a priest, seminarian, or lay person. Let us allow the Sacred Heart of Jesus to captivate our very selves so our hearts can be conformed to the Heart of Jesus.
Timothy Mulranen
Latest posts by Timothy Mulranen (see all)
- For He So Loved the World - June 20, 2023
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