Beloved Family:
Where is your heart focused these days? On Friday of this week, many people— including those who know nothing of the account of the life of Saint Valentine— will in some manner observe Valentine’s Day. One source, Driver Research, posits that “Last year, Valentine’s Day spending hit a record high at $14.2 billion dollars. This is a 5% increase from 2023. Based on how things are going, we think it’s safe to say this trend will continue into 2025.”
44% of Valentine's shoppers will spend money on candy Sure, diamonds are great (but chocolate's sweeter). Other hot gift options include greeting cards (33%), flowers (32%), and an evening out (29%).”
A child is likely to learn how to draw the shape of a heart at a young age. However, when it comes to the workings of the heart, many of us struggle well into adulthood. To quote Sacred Scripture: More tortuous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
Lest we take from this verse that our hearts are beyond help, hope and healing: think again!
Check out the latest episode of a podcast to which I listen regularly, Restore the Glory, hosted by Dr. Bob Shuchts and Jake Khym, MA.: “Faith that Heals.” From the program notes:
This week, Jake and Bob are joined by Fr. Mathias
Thelen, Co-founder and President of Encounter Ministries and Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Brighton (Michigan). Fr. Mathias shared his story of experiencing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit...shares stories of physical and emotional healing, explains what charisms are, and why a relationship with God is the most important part of each of our lives.
Here is a portion of Fr. Thelen’s testimony:
What we teach at Encounter is that God’s heart
is moved by compassion, because it’s the heart of Jesus within us for the broken and the lost. The standard is about His love. It’s always been about His love, and the more that we can trust in Him, the more I think He’s going to do to reveal His love…
If the church knew what He can do in the heart, the Church would look at what’s going on in the world today and have hope. I think that a lot of the reasons why we don’t have hope is because we don’t know what He’s capable of. We’re looking at it through the lens of the world— in a worldly sense. We’re looking at numbers and institutions and structures. All those things need to be tended to, but they all serve the transforming love of Jesus. And if we don’t know what He’s capable of doing in the human heart, what he’s capable of doing in evangelization, we cannot help but live in denial or live in hopelessness about what is possible in the Church.
Do yourself— and “your Valentine” a favor and listen to this podcast!
Finally, I offer one prayer addressed to the Sacred Heart. I am not trying to be “Debbie Downer” in suggesting that we all have experienced a broken heart, but then again… we probably have:
♥ Prayer to the Sacred Heart in Times of Loss or Betrayal
Sweet Jesus, your heart beats for the brokenhearted,
and you know their pain. You experienced loss when
your friend Lazarus died, and betrayal when your friends abandoned and rejected you in your darkest hours.
I ask you for relief and release right now in this time
of grief.
I cry out to your heart, seeking comfort and consolation
Amen.
