The Heart of the Matter

One of the many tangible and direct ways God has directly touched my life has been through the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Here's a very early example, a few weeks before my First Holy Communion, my mom got wind that I might be failing my First Holy Communion classes. I was being taught by a Polish speaking Felician nun.

As you can imagine, my mom  a very devout woman, was devastated and immediately she interceded. She took matters into her own hands and spoke to the English speaking Felician sister and requested that I be transferred immediately to her class.

My mom knew, that as an immigrant, who was struggling to speak Polish at home and English at school, I was often perplexed, misunderstood and befuddled trying to integrate those two very different worlds. When I started being taught in English, with the use of the Baltimore catechism, I fell totally in love, so much so I was tempted to steal it! In working with that catechism I felt such a hunger quenched. I remember that spiritual hunger to this day and I was only in grade two. Your child too, has spiritual needs.

 As Providence would have it, on top of it all,  I got extremely sick just before my First Holy Communion, an cyst had to be removed from my throat -- and there were complications after that surgery that required me going under just one more time.

Throughout the entire time, I had a priest who was extremely interested in my illness, my recovery and my spiritual well being. As a very young child I was completed absorbed by his homilies. I loved every word, every grace that came to me again, I was only in grade two.

Father Rozmyslowski, gave me a beautiful card -- with a very lofty poem. He had written just for me. On the cover of the card, was that famous picture of Jesus of the Sacred Heart. I remember being so thrilled to get that card for many reasons. I was primarily affected by the picture of Jesus' face. His eyes, no matter where I went in the room-- those eyes would look at me. I felt such interior relief. You see although I was taught that Jesus existed and I knew that Jesus was a both God and a person,  I found it hard to pray to Him. Why? Because I couldn't see Him. Getting that picture of Jesus of the Sacred Heart, as a young child, renewed my commitment to pray, just like my mother had taught me.

 I found it so much easier talking to Jesus now, because now I could look at Him and He looked at me. We had many lively conversations. Make sure you have a picture hung up of Jesus, above each bed,  in every child's room. Talk to them about prayer. Make the connection for them.

Many years later...  after giving up on confession for awhile, I was drawn back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation because of a specific homily by a priest who seemed to have so much love in his heart while he was  preaching, that I just couldn't resist him. He is a priest of the Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart of Jesus keep following me and drawing me in.

I do my best to celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart in some way each year. I will never forget one year I had a Sacred Heart Party. I invited all of my kids friends, now THAT was gutsy! A priest I know extremely well, celebrated mass on my kitchen table, he explained the parts of the mass to both the moms and kids. He gave a beautiful talk. I had lots of activities, contests and you guessed it cupcakes for the kids. I will never forget that day......  but most of all I will pray never to forget all of the graces that have come to me through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Now will you sing that hymn with me? The hymn of the Sacred Heart..."Oh Sacred Heart....."

I always tell everybody that my favourite shape is the shape of a heart. I use it whenever I can. Do you like this cake in the shape of a heart? It was my daughters First Holy Communion cake. Oh, and by the way yes, I did graduate from my First Holy Communion classes, with flying colours! It happened to fall on my mothers birthday, and so we both celebrated with tremendous joy in our hearts!

Sister Mary Archangela, a Felician sister, who prepared me is still a good family friend. She came to the house to help prepare my daughter for her First Holy Communion. She has been a nun for 50 years! Anyone that knows Sister Archangela knows that she's one gutsy woman, a woman after my own heart!

Whenever I am prayerfully discerning anything, I beg God to help me discern the heart of the matter. In ALL that you do ask the Holy Spirit to tell you what to do. I promise you He will!