Dear friends, recently, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, released an encyclical named “Dilexit Nos.” This comes from the Latin expression for “He has loved us,” which is the central message of the encyclical: Christ’s profound and enduring love for humanity, as symbolized by His Sacred Heart. Pope Francis chose this title to draw attention to the ultimate expression of divine love embodied in Jesus, especially in His passion and sacrifice, citing passages like John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Having read the encyclical, I’ve put up 5 solid takeaways for anyone who may have difficulty reading the lengthy document.
Please, help share after reading.
1. A Call to Love Like Christ.
The encyclical makes clear that Christian love is modelled on Jesus’ heart, which “loved them to the end” (John 13:1). This devotion to the Sacred Heart isn’t merely sentimental but drives a life of sacrificial love, as rooted in Romans 5:8, where “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
2. Spiritual Renewal Over Structure.
Pope Francis challenges us to prioritize heart-led faith over structural formalities. As Jesus reminded Martha in Luke 10:41-42, the “one thing necessary” is devotion to Him, urging believers to avoid distractions and focus on a love that naturally overflows into worship and service.
3. Devotion to Action.
The encyclical insists that love for Christ moves us to serve others, in line with James 2:17: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” True devotion, Pope Francis writes, involves caring for the poor, forgiving others, and building justice – all responses to Jesus’ love for humanity.
4. Biblical Reparation.
Drawing from Colossians 1:24, Francis introduces reparation as participation in Christ’s love, where Christians, inspired by His sacrifice, make small offerings to join in Jesus’ mission of reconciliation. This is a balanced view of reparation, encouraging believers to trust fully in Christ’s redemptive power while serving as His “ambassadors” (2 Cor. 5:20).
5. A Call to Christian Unity in Christ’s Love.
Finally, the Sacred Heart devotion reminds us of Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17:21, “that they may all be one.” Francis stresses that, by meditating on the heart of Christ, Christians are drawn closer to each other and emboldened to share the Gospel in a world that longs for God’s love and peace.
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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Have you prayed your rosary today?
