p. 41The Sacred Heart and Catholic Unity

The Divine Heart of Jesus burns with a love which is universal, in that it extends to all mankind, and yet most personal in that He loves each one of us individually and specially, with a personal tenderness and friendship which is all our own. He desires each one of us to be His friend. He gives us everything that is necessary to serve Him faithfully. He wishes each one of us to take our part in, and to do our individual share of, the great work of His Church. He intends that we shall each participate through our willing, loving service in the great sum-total of harmonious effort which each generation needs, to carry on His kingdom. He desires that we shall all be worthy members of His mystical body, the Catholic Church, of which He is truly the Head.

Now, the great bond of union which holds the Church together is the love of Jesus Christ. Because we believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him, we are Catholic. The love of the Sacred Heart for us is the reason of the Church’s existence. Our own love for the Sacred Heart is the reason why we remain faithful members of the Church. In order to be good Catholics, we have to make many sacrifices to overcome many evil inclinations. All the bad instincts in us, which would separate us from the love and service of Christ, have to be conquered and subdued if we are to be good Catholics. Pride and covetousness, lust and anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth have to be brought under subjection for the love of Christ.

Our Lord has told us this in very plain terms. “If any man will come after me,” He said to His disciples after He had predicted to them His passion and death, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For he that will save his life shall lose it; and he that shall lose his life for My sake, shall find it” (St. Matthew, xvi. 24-25).

Our Lord then went on to utter that tremendous saying, which rings in the ears of the world forever: “For what doth it profit a man,” He says, “if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?” (St. Matthew, xvi. 26).

The more we love our Lord and the more we appreciate the love of His Sacred Heart for us, the more we shall be willing to make sacrifices for Him and for His interests. He has proved His own love for us by giving up His life for us. Our love for Him may be measured very accurately by our willingness to make sacrifices for His sake.

Now, one of the first requirements for unity in Catholic enterprises and Catholic organizations is this spirit of self-sacrifice. Where many people work together, it is inevitable that there should be clashes of interests and differences of opinion. “Many men, many minds,” says the old proverb. So to have unity, some must yield, some must sacrifice their wishes, interests, plans, and prejudices. If everyone is insistent on his or her own will, own rights, own privileges, there will be splits, factions, divisions; in a word, there will be a pitiful absence of unity.

It is difficult to find any motive strong enough to keep a permanent unity in Catholic organizations, save real love and loyalty to the interests of the Sacred Heart. Catholics are united in their faith, hope, and love in Christ and this is the one great bond of union. They differ in everything else—in nationality, in riches, education, position in society, and occupation; in a word, in everything except that they are loyal in faith, hope, love to the Sacred Heart. Hence, the more this love increases, the deeper and truer and stronger it becomes, the more our Catholic organizations will prosper. We must all depend for perseverance in good works upon the grace which flows from the Sacred Heart. So, also, the strongest bond of union, the surest guarantee of perseverance in good works is the love which is enkindled by the Sacred Heart.

Officers and directors of Catholic organizations, whether they be parish societies, or national, or even international in their scope, will do well to remember always and to utilize the mighty motive of love of the Sacred Heart, to secure self-sacrificing leaders for their enterprises, and to encourage devoted and persevering effort on the part of members of Catholic organizations. The difficulties of Catholic organization are great, just as the need of it is most urgent. Indeed, the very circumstances which nowadays make it difficult are also making it more necessary. The distraction of the times, the multiplication of other activities, the fact that our Catholic people are so mingled with the non-Catholic population, the competition of secular organizations—all these things make it more and more difficult to keep up good Catholic societies and they are, also, the reasons why it is so necessary to do so. No motive is powerful enough to overcome this difficulty effectively, save only the love of the Sacred Heart. No help is strong enough to do so, save the grace of the Sacred Heart.

Thus, when the question arises in the minds of those who are working and sacrificing themselves for a Catholic organization, “Why should I vex myself with so much voluntary effort and take so much trouble on my shoulders when I could lead a quiet, peaceful life by merely tending to my own affairs?” let them answer, “Because I love the Sacred Heart and am willing to suffer for the promotion of Its interest,” and this will be reason enough. Or again, when the temptation comes to keep up a dispute or widen a division in a Catholic society for merely personal reasons, and the thought comes to any one’s mind, “Why should I give up my way and sink my preferences in this matter?” The answer will rise from a heart truly devoted to Christ, “I will do it for the love of our Lord and because He wishes union and charity in all who serve His Sacred Heart.” Such a motive truly realized is mighty enough to overcome all the obstacles to union and divert all the divisions and difficulties which so often injure and wreck Catholic organizations.