The feelings and preferences of his Heart...

Today we celebrate St John: evangelist, witness to the Resurrection, the one Jesus entrusted with the care of his Mother; the Beloved Disciple, intimate friend of Jesus. Different-seeming vocations, but all one: the call to be with Jesus is a call to care and love as he did; to know Jesus - truly know him - is to want to make him known to others. 

You've probably already seen this icon, written by a Benedictine nun, Sr Marie-Paule - you might even have seen it today, on social media perhaps. It shows that moment of togetherness at the Last Supper, when John rested his head close to Jesus' Heart. It speaks to me of what lies at the heart of our vocation as RSCJ: the call to prayer and intimacy, and union with Jesus' Heart, from which flows our call and mission to share and make known the strength and immensity of God's limitless and unconditional love. And it always makes me think of these words from our Constitutions: Jesus calls us to a personal encounter with Him. He wants to make known to us the feelings and the preferences of His Heart.

The feelings and preferences of his Heart... Made known in times of prayer, yes; but also in our reading and our listening, our work and our play, and in every encounter and the choices before us. Wherever we are, whatever we're about, it can all be a personal encounter with Jesus, who comes to us, wanting us to know his deepest feelings and preferences, and how we can respond to them. 

What are the feelings and preferences Jesus makes known to you?