Friday, July 1, 2011

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

On this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I offer you this photo of a picture in our house. It's a print framed behind glass and dedicated to the memory of Edward J. Balfe of Hartford, Conn(Connecticut?).


The Heart of our Lord is not actually shining like that in the pciture but is painted a pale pink. The flash just happened to catch the image there and it seemed so apt that I used this shot.  It's a powerful image and better than most of the Sacred Heart images one sees around.  Most of them are insipid or effeminate.  This, like the best Greek icons of the Pantocrator, speaks not just of love and mercy but of power and conscious intent.  He is not going to give up on His plan for our salvation.  He will not turn back or be cheated of His beloved.  This is the face of God Incarnate not by accident but for the salvation of Man.

It reminds me of the story my mother tells of her father Barney Clarke who would pray to no one but the Sacred Heart.  "If I want anything," he would say, "I ask the man Himself."  He died on a Friday while a votive Mass to the Sacred Heart was being offered for him.  A sign, I take it, that our Lord answered him.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Sacred Heart is one of my favorit images and I have never seen this one before - thanks for sharing. (Howver I don't know about the pink - happy it appears white in this picture)

Unknown said...

I was in need of this image. It is strikingly beautiful. Thank you

Unknown said...

I was in need of this image. It is very beautiful. Thank you.

Ev said...

Hello Father,

I truly appreciate and am deeply moved by this depiction of our blessed Lord's Sacred Heart. I am hoping to reach out to the artist for permission regarding the reuse of the image. Would you be able to help me with my search? Thank you, and thank you for your priesthood!

God bless.

Evan

Tom said...

Dear Ev,
I don't know who painted this. I'm not even sure if the 'painting' I photographed is an original or a print. It hangs in our house in Raheny, Dublin and I won't get there for a while in order to check. I hope you find the painter but I think this is old and he is probably dead. best of luck in your search.
Fr Tom

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