On February 8, our parish had an opportunity to pray before the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, donated by the Knights of Columbus. The church celebrated the Divine Liturgy and a prayer service to Christ the Lover of Humankind.
"Veneration of the Heart of Christ has its roots in early Christianity, but it developed in a special way throughout the Church in the 17th century. At that time there was a heresy claiming that God only punishes and is only harsh, and people were very afraid of God. When heresies arise, the Lord intervenes through the Holy Spirit to uproot them. It was then that God gave a revelation to the French nun Marguerite-Maria Alacoque that His Heart is good, that God is merciful, and that He gives many promises to those who honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When we honor His Heart, we honor His love and mercy. From that time the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus began to be painted."
— Fr. Andriy Oliynyk, homily
Fr. Andriy also explained the symbolism of the icon. The black background represents darkness that Christ drives away so we can focus on Him. In this way we are invited to choose what we contemplate: darkness or light. The vestments symbolize both the divinity (blue) and humanity (red) of Jesus.
"With His gaze, Jesus invites us to prayer and love, to His Heart. And we want to respond to Him in love," Fr. Andriy noted.
According to the pastor, the center of the image is the Heart of Christ, which Jesus holds in His left hand while with His right hand He points to it, showing His love for us. The crown of thorns on Christ's Heart symbolizes our sins that wound Him. Yet from that Heart flows not punishment or anger, but mercy. This means that even a hardened sinner who repents receives mercy. At the top of the Heart we see the Cross, the instrument of our salvation, and the flame rising from the Heart is the flame of God's love, which Christ wants us to carry to others.
Veneration of the Heart of Christ is present in both Western and Eastern Catholic traditions, as also witnessed by the pastoral message of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi about the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"In our relationship with God, we must open our hearts, begin to live as practicing Christians, flee from sin, repent of our sins, receive the Eucharist, and do works of mercy. To stand before God as we are, with an open heart. Then we can truly build a good relationship with God. And devotion to the Heart of Jesus helps us build this relationship."
— Fr. Andriy Oliynyk
After the Liturgy, Mr. Pavlo, a representative of the Knights of Columbus who brought the icon to our parish, shared about this Catholic organization of lay men. Their mission is to protect and support the Church and uphold family values. The Knights serve in many countries, including Ukraine, and are actively involved in helping our homeland.
The day concluded with a prayer service to Christ the Lover of Humankind, where we prayed for Ukraine, the Church, protection of the faith, orphans, godchildren, children for whom no one prays, our Armed Forces defenders, and civil authorities. In several minutes of silence, parishioners also entrusted personal intentions to God's care.
At the end, all who wished were able to pray privately before the icon and reflect on their relationship with God.