The Rejected One

Basilica of the Sacred Heart Parayle Monial, France

One morning, a short time ago, I stood before a good-sized image of the Sacred heart in a church sacristy. The glass covering had a crack which ran through the Heart of Christ. How symbolic of the state of the world this is, I thought. As He did many years ago as He Looked over Jerusalem, Christs weeps today of the nations of the world for their rejection of Him and His message, possibly over our community as well. He suffers from a broken heart.

In his last years, Francis of Assisi suffered from eye trouble because of his frequent tears. In his crying, he would say often, “Love is not loved!” Would that we felt this poor treatment of Christ in the same way as Francis! Too often the distractions of life dull our minds to this tragedy of life taking place before our eyes. We need to arouse ourselves for a recognition of Christ the Sacred Heart.

In September, 1994. the Annual Meeting of the International Conference of Airport Chaplains took place in London, England. At its close, I went to Paris with the special intention of visiting Paray La Monial, the place where Our Lord appeared to Sister Margaret Mary in southern France. However, my plans went awry. At noon a fast train, after a two-hour ride, brought me to the city of Macon-Loche, which I thought was close to Paray La Monial, but really was 25 miles away.

No bus was scheduled to Paray La Monial for four hours, so, I had to walk around the city for six-hour until I took the 6:00 pm train back to Paris. The loneliness I felt on this long day in a strange city reminded me of the loneliness Jesus suffers as He walks through our streets with no one talking with Him.

In His appearances at Paray La Monial, Jesus pleaded with Sister Margaret Mary to tell all people how much He wanted their love. In return, He would enrich their lives with gifts and graces beyond description. Remind all at home that this Lord of ours must rule in the family circle. Set up His image so all can see and pause before it for a prayer of reparation and love. May members of a family kneel before the Sacred Heart for a dedication of themselves to the Lord of Love! I consecrated my priesthood to the Sacred Heart and count this action as my greatest act of wisdom in these past 50 years. I was stationed at St. Margaret Mary Parish for eleven years.

I am going to remind myself frequently of the words of Francis of Assisi – “Love is not loved” – and repeat them through the day. Even a one-person crusade could sweep away the lethargy of taking the Lord, the Sacred Heart, for granted. May we all be a part of this wave of love which could bring light and holiness to all!

Fr George P McKenna

I always say that Uncle George’s message find me, I do not find them. So, it is with the timeless wisdom shared above. I actually found it Friday this week, which was the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, (a fact I did not realize until later in the day when I was reading the day’s Mass Readings). Written some 30 years ago, Fr. McKenna talks of the turmoil the world is experiencing – it seems there’s never a time without turmoil, and he ends speaking of “a one-person crusade”, similar to the message I shared last week from Matthew Kelly. Do you believe there are no coincidences, just divine interventions?

This week I watched “The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn”, a Sidney Poitier movie (how could you go wrong if Sidney Poitier is in it?); made in 1999 it is about a 90-year-old craftsman living in a small town. Living by himself, some developers are anxious to buy his farm, and when he refuses to sell, they try to have him declared mentally incompetent. It is a feel-good movie.

During the story, Poitier’s character has flash backs to his younger days to help develop his character. In one scene he is with his father, and they are working on a car. His dad said to him, “Clear your mind of all that concerns you and do the right thing with those hands that God gave you.” How deep is that? And it reminded me of Uncle George always supplying a timely message that means so much. Doing the right thing with your hands that God gave you – Praying? Working to earn a living? Raising your children? Reaching out to help those in need? Reaching across the aisle to welcome newcomers or people who are different? I’m sure Fr. McKenna would have many more examples of what we could use our hands for in doing the work of Our Lord, the Sacred Heart! Let’s each go on a one-person crusade and start today!

God’s Peace, Joe