“The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place “to which I withdraw.” The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant.” (Catechism 2563)
The heart is a holy place. It is where we encounter God. It is the place where we encounter our desires. It is where we discover what is important to us because we are honest about what hurts us, what makes us happy and what we hope for. It is the place where we see the truth of our authentic selves if we dare to embrace it with honesty and, at the same time, if we don’t know how we feel, it is the location where the Holy Spirit prays with groans for us because we cannot find the words needed. God is love (1John 4:8) and it is in the heart that we discover God and His love, our love of neighbor and our self love.
Often times we ignore the heart because it seems too painful. That is because we fail to take note that if God is love and the love is painful, God’s love and message resides in the pain for us. Never do we have to be afraid to confront the pain because it is within that pain that we find God. It is there that He patiently waits for us.
It is sad when we fail to embrace the love that is within, but it is equally sad when we fail to recognize it in another. Often people reveal their hearts to us. When they do, that is a very sacred act. Do we realize that? Do we understand that we are entering holy ground? Do we recognize God and eagerly open our hearts to better understand the love or do we only half listen? Do we step all over the love by listening with only one ear while waiting to break in with our words of wisdom? When we offer those words, are they the result of our honoring the holy heart we are encountering or are we simply attempting to spread what makes us feel good? Are we refreshing the heart of the other or are we satisfying our ego?
What an amazing opportunity we have to be in the presence of holy love! How sad when we don’t embrace it. When someone opens their heart and allows us to share in it, that is a tremendous gift. They are allowing us to know a part of Jesus and His love that we are not aware of in our own lives. It is a heart that makes itself vulnerable so we can encounter this love. While we can comfort the other with the same comfort and we have been given (2Cor 1:4), the depth of the love they are experiencing is unique to them and we have been offered a gift when we are invited in.
If we could be aware of the holiness that is within our hearts, we would listen more attentively to our heart and the hearts of others. Then when we finished the encounter of love, we would emerge differently than what we were prior because we had an encounter with God and His heart burning with love gives us a special glow. (Exodus 34:29)
PRAYERFULLY REFLECT ON GOD’S LOVE DWELLING WITHIN BY:
Prayerfully reflecting on Catechism 2563 as above.
Praying on “God is love.” (1John 4:8)
Praying on “I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith.” (Eph 3:17)
“Praying on “I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. Yes, may you come to know His love – although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.” (Eph 3:17-19)
PRAYERFULLY REFLECTING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A LISTENING HEART
“That which you do to the very least of my brothers is that what you’re doing to me.” (Matt 25:40)
“Carry each other‘s burdens and this way you shall fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:12)
“Remember this my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (1James 1:19)
“The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with.” (Prov 20:12)
God is in our neighbor. “When Moses went down from Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord; but he did not know it.” (Exodus 34:29)