“Dilexit Nos” emphasizes that the heart of Christ is the “core of the initial preaching of the Gospel.” This isn’t just a devotion to a single organ, but to the entire person of Jesus. His heart is the “privileged sign” of His incarnate love—a living, breathing symbol of God’s love made real.
My belovedness is found in this love. It’s not a dry theological concept, but a living reality revealed in the beating heart of Jesus, who loves me completely. As the encyclical states, “His Heart is the privileged sign of the inmost being of the incarnate Son and his love.” This is a tangible expression of what we read in 1 John 4:16: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
How does the image of Christ’s heart deepen your understanding of God’s love for you?
Spend a few minutes looking at an image or painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and simply meditate on His love.
Smitten With Goodness 