“When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead ... one soldier thrust his lance into his side: immediately blood and water flowed out.” John’s Gospel is filled with spiritual imagery and symbolism, divinely inspired to give us spiritual food for reflection. One image is given to us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Some traditions identify Longinus with the centurion who cried out after Jesus’ death, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (See Matthew 27:54.))
The symbolism of this act was more than a mere human symbol. It was an instrument of the profound spiritual reality that was taking place. As Jesus’ Sacred Heart was pierced, the blood and water that poured forth was the new sacramental life of the Church. The Blood was the Holy Eucharist, the Water was the gift of Baptism. When Jesus had “breathed His last” and “handed over His Spirit,” the Sacrament of Confirmation was bestowed.
When we celebrate Sacraments, it is easy to see them as mere symbols of what takes place. In our Christian Tradition, Sacraments are much more. The symbol is the reality, the instrument of what it symbolizes. Every time we witness a Baptism or partake in the Holy Eucharist, we are mystically present, receiving the grace and mercy of redemption, pouring forth from Jesus’ wounded side, so as to heal us and make us whole.
The human heart is the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout. From a spiritual perspective, because we are body and soul, the human heart is also the source of our life. Without it, we physically and spiritually die. So it is with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was not only a physical heart that was pierced by the lance long ago. It is now the source of our ongoing spiritual life. Without Jesus’ Sacred Heart of Mercy, we die in our sins.
Reflect on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. See His Heart as the ongoing source of our new life in grace. Understand that His Heart is more than a symbol of His grace and mercy, it is the spiritual source and the font of that mercy. Prayerfully place yourself before His Cross, this day, and allow the blood and water, flowing from His wounded side, to cover you, too.