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| The Sacred Heart by Salvador Dali |
Dali's Sacred Heart portrays so clearly and frankly the strength, intensity and raw humanity of Christ's divine heart. This is not the passive Christ of so much religious art but rather the strong Christ of self-emptying love whose heart was crucified for us. Here is a Christ we can imagine fishermen leaving their nets to follow. Here is a Christ strong enough to carry all of our burdens. Here is a Christ with a heart robust enough to pump its Spirit through the universe; Here is a Christ whose heart is: tender enough to welcome any who seek its refuge; unafraid to expose its love and mercy for all; big enough to be the very heart of God, made flesh, that our hearts might know his love for us.
God knows that in these days we need the strength of the Heart of Jesus to empower and sustain us in our weakness and vulnerability. For today's Pause for Prayer, then, I offer you Dali's image and Wendy Wright's Litany of the Sacred Heart with its unusual and evocatively powerful imagery...
Litany of the Sacred Heart
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
So loving
So humble
So gentle
So compassionate
So faithful
So wise
So patient
So steadfast
So tender
So spacious
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
God’s joy
God’s shalom
Harp of the Trinity
Wingbeat of the Spirit
Breath of God
Five-petaled rose
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Womb of justice
Birthplace of peace
Our dearest hope
Longing of our lives
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Freely flowing fountain
Spring of grace
Freshet of forgiveness
Merciful river
Mystical dew
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Warmth of our hearts
Transforming fire
Cosmic furnace
Enflamer of hearts
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Heart of evolution
Beginning and ending
Center of all
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Garden of virtues
Mystical dew
Table and food
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Our refuge
Our shelter
Our comfort
Our rest
Our welcoming breast
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Wounded by love
Pierced by our cruelty
Broken by our hardness
Mystic winepress
Poured out as gift
Heart of Jesus, hear our prayer!
Have mercy, gracious heart,
Give us gratefulness
Teach us tenderness
Let us learn to love.
Hear our prayer!
- Wendy Wright
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