“Dilexit Nos” makes it clear that devotion to the heart of Christ isn’t about worshipping a single organ. Instead, it’s a way of contemplating and adoring the whole person of Jesus, with His heart serving as a powerful symbol of His “boundless, human, and divine love.” This devotion is a way to encounter the living Christ.
My belovedness is a direct result of this love. It is in His heart that I find my true home and my ultimate worth. As the encyclical states, “Our devotion is directed not to an isolated organ but to the whole person of Jesus, with his heart being the privileged sign of his human and divine love.”
John 14:21 offers a beautiful connection: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
How can we make our devotion to Christ more personal and focused on His whole person, rather than just a set of rules?
Choose a story from the Gospels and read it with a focus on Jesus’s heart and His love.
Smitten With Goodness 