His love must increase in me

Over the past few days, Catholics in England & Wales have found themselves with a cluster of feasts. On Wednesday we celebrated Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, then yesterday we had a displaced birth of John the Baptist, while - depending on calendars - St Alban has hovered over the week, getting mentioned on different days. John the Baptist was, of course, displaced by today's feast, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Solemnities of Jesus have that effect, even on his Mother Mary, whose Annunciation has sometimes been displaced by an early Easter. I imagine that in heaven everyone is being very gracious and apologetic about this: the gentle and humble Heart of Jesus would certainly not enjoy pulling rank on anyone, let alone pushing them and their big day aside!

A couple of days ago a Benedictine friend tweeted about this week's liturgical confusions and hierarchies, and then the Carmelites found this meme: 

I chuckled along with everyone else, and tweeted that I heartily agreed! But at the same time, I could hear, from deep within... His love must increase in me. And since then, that is what I have continued to hear, the voice soft, and gently insistent. And it is what I bring with me into my prayer today, the feast of his Heart, which is all love. And yesterday, whenever I thought about what to share in today's blog, those words would return... His love, his Heart, must increase in me...

No ifs, no buts, no wouldn't it be lovelies... If I, you, we truly believe that an increase in love is what our world, with all its chaos and brokenness, needs right now, then Jesus' love, Jesus' Heart, must increase in me, in you, in all of us. And today, a day in which we celebrate the unconditional and unlimited love of his Heart, is a very good day to pray for this grace, and this increase in us of all that is Jesus.

Happy feast to you all! And please pray for me, and all my sisters, on this day when we renew our commitment to Love.