He Loved Us: Pope Francis’ Call to the Sacred Heart
October 25, 2024
Pope Francis
Pope Francis has released his latest encyclical, Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”), a profound reflection on the divine and human love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.
Drawing from Scripture, the Holy Father emphasises that Christ’s love is inseparable from His humanity, which opens to us the infinite love of God. The letter explores how modern society, often caught in superficial pursuits, needs to reconnect with the heart—the symbol of deep, authentic love.
Through the lens of Christ’s heart, Pope Francis invites the faithful to ponder the true meaning of life, asking, “Who am I for God?” He urges us to embrace a heart-centered life, where love, as expressed by Jesus, becomes the unifying force that binds individuals and communities together. As the world grows more fragmented, Pope Francis highlights the importance of reconciliation, peace, and community, all flowing from the heart of Christ.
The encyclical calls us to return to the essence of Christ’s love, a love that is both tender and transformative, reminding us that the Sacred Heart represents the fullness of God’s love for humanity. Pope Francis connects this ancient devotion to the modern world, underscoring its relevance in a time marked by technological distractions and emotional disconnection.
With Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis not only renews devotion to the Sacred Heart but also inspires a deeper personal and communal engagement with Christ’s divine love, calling the world back to its true source: the heart of Jesus.
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with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your accounts offered by financial
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with your financial institution before completing the direct debit request if you have any queries about how to complete the direct debit
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Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
