As a child, I vividly remember entering my grandmother’s San Francisco home. Dominating the entrance doorway hall was the enshrined image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His crown sat at his feet. One hand pointed to his heart. Another hand gestured a sign of peace toward the guests entering the home. There was also another image of the Heart of Jesus in my grandmother’s bedroom. In one of her trips to the Philippines, my grandmother gave me a similar image. As you can see, this devotion to the Heart of Jesus has followed me throughout my life. I did not think about it as much then as I do today, reflecting on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Pope Francis released his latest letter, Dilexit nos, in October 2024. I have commented on the release of this letter here. This letter focuses on Jesus’s human and divine love in his Sacred Heart. The Holy Father opens his letter with a provocative statement. He says that God’s love proves that nothing can separate us from him. Pope Francis articulates that in today’s consumeristic world, we often forget about matters of the heart. We end up running aimlessly in life. We need a return to the heart, more specifically to the heart of Jesus.

Throughout history, we have understood the heart as the center of all our emotions, affections, sincerity, and vulnerability.

In the first eight paragraphs of his letter, Pope Francis speaks about the fragility of our hearts. Our hearts are often covered with foliage. I have often thought about having a wall around my heart, but the idea of foliage makes more sense.

Some leaves surround my heart to nurture future life that springs after an emotional winter. I can remove foliage around my heart to support growth. To understand our true selves in the image of God, we must return to the heart. This is the project of Pope Francis’ letter to the world. I will continue to follow these thoughts and periodically comment.