Heart to Sacred Heart

 Elizabeth Leon shares how she grew in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus — and how you can too.  

The Sacred Heart of Jesus found me in the depths of grief. My son, John Paul Raphael, died on Friday, January 5, 2018, the day after he was born. It wasn’t until weeks later that I realized he died on a First Friday, a day honoring the Sacred Heart. His due date, February 2, was also a First Friday. In the midst of great suffering, the Lord reminded me that His pierced Heart was with my heart, and that I was not alone.   

I first met the Sacred Heart more than twenty years ago while picking up the kids from our parish vacation Bible school.  My 6-year old daughter clambered into the car with a holy card of the Sacred Heart in her hand, proclaiming it was “really gross, but holy!” That holy card stayed with us for many years as Jesus invited me closer to His Heart.  

Jesus Himself asked for an observance of First Fridays. He appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alocoque several times from 1673 – 1675, revealing His desire for this devotion and offering His Heart as a refuge for those who practice it. I made my first nine-month novena of First Fridays when we were discerning high school for our oldest child. After completing the novena and experiencing peace in our decision, I just kept going. There has been no shortage of suffering and worthy intentions to place into the Sacred Heart of Jesus for nine months in a row.  

When our parish Adoration chapel opened, I selected an assigned hour in the dark of Friday morning. I come heart to heart with Jesus for an hour of private Adoration every First Friday and let him love me through the sufferings and joys of my life. Our home is enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and this precious image can be found in almost every room.   

Behold This Heart  

Every image of the Sacred Heart is an opportunity to come heart to heart with Jesus. Father Thomas Dailey, SJ writes: 

When we truly “see” a sacred image, we not only look at it; we are acted upon by it. In a certain sense, the image looks back at us, does something to us, and challenges us to be something more. (Behold This Heart, p. 41)   

Reflecting on these three dimensions of the Sacred Heart, we can grow in our devotion and intimacy with our Lord.  

The Image Looks Back at Us 

What does Jesus see when he looks at you? We know we are beloved daughters of God, but do we feel that in our hearts? Does he see a woman who knows she is loved? A woman firmly rooted in the truth of her identity? Many of us live with a sense of unworthiness and may not even want the Lord to see us, but His gaze of love is a healing balm.   

The Image Does Something to Us 

The human heart was created for God. As Saint Augustine famously wrote, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. We were made to seek goodness, truth, and beauty and, in case we weren’t sure where to find them, our humble glorious Savior puts His Heart on display so we know where to turn. How can we not be moved by His humility and vulnerability, the burning fire of love He has for us? May we be convinced that by His example we too are invited to humility and vulnerability. May His Sacred Heart create our hearts anew.  

The Image Challenges Us to Be Something More  

What is the “more” that Jesus calls us to? Is it not what we might think: We are not called to do more or have more, but to let him love us more. He calls us to be more closely united with Him, more convicted to trust Him, more willing to rest in His Heart. He is ready to give us more than this world will ever offer if we receive the gift of His Heart and offer ours in return.  

A Way of Life   

Although there are many practical ways to practice devotion to the Sacred Heart, true devotion is not what we do as much as how we live, letting Him love us through the ordinary and extraordinary events of our lives. Observing First Fridays shapes the rhythm of my days. Honoring the Sacred Heart through images and prayer is a focal point of my life. Placing my suffering into His pierced Heart gives me strength and hope.  

Jesus told St. Margaret Mary that His divine heart is “so passionately in love” with us that it can no longer “contain within itself the flames of ardent charity.” (Life of St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, p. 164) The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a treasure for hurting humanity, an intimate invitation to live heart to heart in the fire of his love. I pray you will join me there.  

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Copyright 2025 Elizabeth Leon
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