40 Crosses for 40 Days: 7th Cross - The Sacred Heart Cross

Hearts pop up a lot during Lent.  That's been especially true this year, since Lent 2024 began on St. Valentine's Day, the quintessential 'Holiday of Hearts.'

Not only do hearts feature prominently on many crosses, which are around a lot during this penitential season, but hearts are also mentioned frequently in the Mass readings. In fact, it was Psalm 51, read at Mass today, that was the inspiration for today's cross, the Sacred Heart cross.

At first glance, the small, silver heart at the center of this cross looks nothing like the Sacred Heart of Jesus that is most commonly seen. "Where's the blood red at the center of the heart?  Where're the thorns?  Where're the flames?" we might wonder.  Nevertheless, the artist who sculpted this cross did indeed name it "The Sacred Heart" cross. What did she mean by that? Psalm 51 gives us the answer. 

The excerpt from Mass today reads:

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence, 
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

The sacred heart on the cross above is not meant to be the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Instead, it is a mirror of it. It represents our hearts, the hearts of people who love God. The heart on the cross is small, contrite, and humble and it blends into the vertical and horizontal arms of the cross it is on. It is a heart that has been made clean, washed free from guilt and reaches out to embrace both the physical elements (think of the Corporal Works of Mercy) as well as the spiritual things (the Spiritual Works of Mercy).

It is integrated, even being the same color as the rest of the cross, drawing no attention to itself. Fr. Ronald Knox, a Catholic priest, theologian and contemporary of G.K. Chesterton from the early 20th century, put it this way "God doesn't want us to be humiliated. He wants us to be humbled."  This heart has not been humiliated. On the contrary, it is bright, shiny and new. But it is humble. Fr. Knox continues to say that "we shall be judged, not by what we might have done if we had been somebody different, but by what we did, being what we were." This cross reminds us to offer back to God the offering that Jesus made first - a contrite spirit and a humble heart. That is what God desires because that's what makes a heart sacred.

Let us pray: Holy Trinity, help us to humble our hearts, while not mistaking humility for humiliation. Create in us clean hearts that reflect You and renew in us a steadfast spirit. And in all things, let us praise you.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

The Strawberry Vine - Cultivating A Catholic Imagination