A Heart that changes the world

Pope Francis writes in his new Encyclical that “Christ showed the depth of his love for us not by lengthy explanations but by concrete actions. By examining his interactions with others, we can come to realize how he treats each one of us.”

As children of Greek rationalism, post-Christian idealism, materialism, and, today, the fluid culture of individualism, we are struggling to fully understand that Christianity cannot be reduced to a theory, a philosophy, a set of moral rules, or even a sequence of sentimental emotions. Instead, it is the encounter with a living Person.

Understanding how He loves us, how He attracts and calls us, and establishing a relationship with Him cannot, therefore, be reduced to reasoning, a cultural identity to be flaunted, or a manual of rules to consult when needed.

Understanding how Jesus loves us is a matter of the heart: it is a story of actions, glances, and words. It is a story of friendship, a matter of the heart.

“I am my heart,” writes the Successor of Peter, “for my heart is what sets me apart, shapes my spiritual identity, and puts me in communion with other people.”

We can understand how Jesus loves us, Pope Francis says, “by examining His interactions with others”; that is, by meditating on episodes from the Gospel and letting ourselves be amazed that they continue to happen around us, perhaps where we least expect them.

By watching Him act, we see that Jesus gives His full attention “to individuals and above all to their problems and needs.” What the Nazarene proposes is “the sense of mutual belonging typical of friends.”

He came, He overcame all distances, and He drew near to us like the simplest and most everyday things in life. In fact, He has another name, “Emmanuel,” meaning “God with us,” God close to our lives, living among us. The Son of God became incarnate and emptied Himself, becoming a servant and sacrificing Himself out of love.

Encountering Christian faith means encountering the heart of Christ, a heart incapable of remaining indifferent, which, by embracing us with His infinite mercy, invites us to imitate Him.

And this has social consequences because the world, in the grip of wars, socio-economic imbalances, consumerism, and the inhumane use of technology, “can change beginning with the heart.”

The Encyclical Dilexit Nos thus becomes an interpretive key for Pope Francis’ entire pontificate. (A. Tornielli)

By Andrea Tornielli