Dilexit Nos in a Year - Session 46 - Bringing Love to the World

"Mission, as a radiation of the love of the heart of Christ, requires missionaries who are themselves in love and who, enthralled by Christ, feel bound to share this love that has changed their lives." Pope Francis examines the innate connection between discipleship and missionary outpouring, as a desire to unite oneself with the pattern of self-donation, Jesus Christ. He elucidates the character of evangelization by recognizing the attractiveness, and invitation to marvel at love. Chapter 5, pp 205-211

Each session of Dilexit Nos in a Year begins by breaking open the scriptures and topics covered in order to outline the themes of Pope Francis, and frame our conversations for the weekly discussion for the year ahead. For the next 50 weeks, we will work through four to five paragraphs reading of the text of Dilexit Nos, with opening prayer, and short reflection based upon the paragraphs covered and the prayerful discussions of the questions to ponder together as we reflect on the work of spiritual and communal formation and mission in this Jubilee Year of Hope.

Prayer

Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, embrace my heart.
Fire of the Heart of Jesus, inflame my heart.
Charity of the Heart of Jesus, fill my heart.
Strength of the Heart of Jesus, sustain my heart.
Mercy of the Heart of Jesus, pardon my heart.
Patience of the Heart of Jesus, do not forsake my heart.
Reign of the Heart of Jesus, establish Yourself in my heart.
Wisdom of the Heart of Jesus, teach my heart.
Will of the Heart of Jesus, guide my heart.
Zeal of the Heart of Jesus consume my heart.
Jesus, make our hearts more like your own.

Dilexit Nos - Chapter 5, Paragraphs 205 - 211

Letter of St. Pope John Paul II - On 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII conscration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation of St. Bonaventure
A reflection on the Sacred Heart from St Bonaventure
Take thought now, redeemed one, and consider how great and worthy is he who hangs
on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life, but at his passing heaven and
earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder.
It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a
lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as he
slept the sleep of death on the cross, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: 'They
shall look on him whom they pierced'. The blood and water which poured out at that
moment were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord's
heart as from a fountain, this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to
confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ it became a spring of living
water welling up to life everlasting.
Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove 'that nests in a hole in the cliff', keeping
watch at the entrance 'like the sparrow that finds a home'. There like the turtledove hide
your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the fountain, 'draw water
from the wells of your Saviour; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise,
dividing into four rivers', inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making
it fertile.
Run with eager desire to this source of life and light, all you who are vowed to God's
service. Come, whoever you may be, and cry out to him with all the strength of your
heart. "O indescribable beauty of the most high God and purest radiance of eternal light!
Life that gives all life, light that is the source of every other light, preserving in
everlasting splendour the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of your
divinity from the dawn of time! Eternal and inaccessible fountain, clear and sweet stream
flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom your depths nor
survey your boundaries, none can measure your breadth, nothing can sully your purity.
From you flows 'the river which gladdens the city of God' and makes us cry out with joy
and thanksgiving in hymns of praise to you, for we know by our own experience that
'with you is the source of life, and in your light we see light’.

Office for Evangelization website: www.rcan.org/evangelization
Our original theme music is "Meditation" by Eric Hunter. - www.erichuntermusic.com