REFLECTION: Day 2

As we gather for the second day of our Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we reflect on a very important word found in today's theme: source.

A source is where something begins. It is the origin from which everything else flows. If you want clean water, you must go to a good source. If you want light, you need a source of power. If you want fruit, you need healthy roots. The quality of what flows out depends upon the quality of its source.

Today, we honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the Source of Justice and Love. This means that justice and love do not begin with us. They begin with Him. We do not invent them; we receive them from the Heart of Christ.

In the Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Notice that Jesus does not begin with rules, policies, or obligations. He begins with love. Why? Because love is the source. If our actions are not rooted in love of God, they eventually become empty. We may do the right thing outwardly, but our hearts can remain unchanged.

The Sacred Heart reveals the source from which all Christian living flows. When we look at the Heart of Jesus, we see perfect love for the Father and perfect love for humanity. From that Heart flowed compassion for the sick, forgiveness for sinners, concern for the poor, and mercy for those who had failed. In other words, justice flowed from His love.

Sometimes we think of justice and love as opposites. We imagine justice as being strict and love as being soft. But in Jesus they are united because they come from the same source—His Sacred Heart.

The saints understood this well. They did not become loving by trying harder to love. They first stayed close to Jesus, the source of love. They did not become agents of justice simply by fighting injustice. They first drew near to Christ, the source of justice.

The same is true for us. If we find ourselves lacking patience, kindness, mercy, or compassion, perhaps we have drifted from the source. If our love has grown cold or our concern for others has weakened, the answer is not merely to work harder. The answer is to return to the Heart of Jesus.

Just as a branch cannot live apart from the vine, we cannot love as Christ loves apart from Him. The closer we are to the source, the more His justice and love will flow through us.

As we continue this novena, let us ask for the grace not simply to admire the Sacred Heart, but to remain close to it. For when we stay connected to the source, our hearts gradually become more like His.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Source of Justice and Love, draw us close to Your Heart, that Your love and justice may flow through us each day. Amen.