Message Board

Dear Friends,

The month of June invites us to reflect on the mystery of God’s love revealed in the Heart of Jesus, especially as we celebrate the Feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary one after the other. As Jesuits, we can feel truly honoured by the fact that the Society of Jesus has played an important role in promoting the devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the world. Through the witness of St. Claude de la Colombière and the mission entrusted to the Society, we, Jesuits, have carried this devotion to people across the globe.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart is more than a religious practice; it is a way of life. The theme, “Living the Heart of Jesus in Today’s World,” invites us not only to experience the love of Jesus Christ in our personal lives, but also to share it with others. The roots of this devotion are found in the Gospel itself. At the Last Supper, the beloved disciple John rested his head on the chest of Jesus (John 13:23), a beautiful symbol of communion with the Lord. It reminds us that devotion to the Sacred Heart is, above all, about entering into a close relationship with Jesus. When we draw near to his heart, we encounter a love that transforms us and sends us forth to live out his command: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34; 15:12)

Fr. Pedro Arrupe, our beloved General, beautifully expressed this call when he wrote: “Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” The Heart of Jesus reveals God’s boundless love for us, and Fr. Arrupe invites us to remain rooted in that love. When Jesus becomes the centre of our lives, our life-mission is shaped and guided by him.

The Heart of Jesus never ceases to love us. It provides us a refuge for our souls, wearied by fatigue, temptation, sorrow, and discouragement. Jesus tells us: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love” (Jn. 15:9). May our hearts burn with love for him, as did the hearts of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Love can be answered only with love. Let us, therefore, love the Heart of Jesus as well as live the Heart of Jesus.

To live the Heart of Jesus today means allowing his compassion to inspire us and direct our life & mission. Throughout his ministry, Jesus treated every person with love and compassion, especially those on the fringes of society. Seeing the crowds, harassed and helpless, he was moved with compassion (cf. Matthew 9:36). His tender, caring heart teaches us to be compassionate towards others. St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us that love is expressed more in deeds than in words. For him, prayer and mission are inseparable. He envisioned Jesuits as “contemplatives in action,” united with God and fully engaged in the mission.

Our contemporary world faces many challenges. Hatred and division continue to prevail in the name of caste, ethnicity, race, language, and religion. In a fast-paced society, many people become indifferent to the struggles of others. We see a growing lack of concern for the poor, the marginalized, and the degradation of our natural resources. Pope Francis uses the term “globalization of indifference” to describe how we, insulated by comfort and technology, have become numb to the suffering of others. It is a collective detachment where people treat global crises - like poverty, war, and the migration crisis - as distant news rather than personal, moral responsibilities. These realities call us, ever more urgently, to become living witnesses to the compassionate Heart of Jesus in Today’s World.

Dear Friends, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus teach us to love as He loves, to serve as He serves, and to live in communion with Him and with one another.

Fr. Thomas Amirtham, S.J.,

Provincial, The Jesuit Madurai Province