Reflecting on Ian’s 'Sacred Heart of Naur' during some quiet moments snatched today it struck me once again how important it is to think of the Sacred Heart in terms of the eucharist. As I looked at the white circle in Ian’s Sacred Heart I was reminded of the many images of the Sacred Heart I have seen over the years in Mexico. One in particular by Miguel Cabrera. In his ‘Allegoria del Corazon de Jesus’ we see the Sacred Heart in its ‘disembodied’ form. When we look into the centre of the heart we see it is a host. ( Click on it to see it more clearly ) This is a very graphic representation of what we find in the great prayer of Blessed John Henry Newman and what is central to Catholic teaching on the Sacred Heart.
O most Sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still… I worship Thee with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O my God, when Thou dost condescend to suffer me to receive Thee, to eat and drink Thee, and Thou for a while takest up Thy abode within me, O make my heart beat with Thy Heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it, but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. Amen. (Meditations and Devotions, Part III [XVI] para. 3)
As we can also see in Teilhard this close relationship between the Sacred Heart and the eucharist is very important and will be explored in due course. But for now, prompted by Ian’s work, I think it best to just reflect on this great prayer of Blessed John Henry Newman.
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