HEARTS ALOFT

“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart.”
–Joel 2:12 (today’s verse before the Gospel)

Last weekend we hosted our third mini retreat for our Pre Cana cohort of engaged couples preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. It is a privilege to walk with them and share the Church’s lofty vision with them. I am especially grateful for Elizabeth Brown, our Marriage Formation Coordinator, as well as our mentor couples and other guest presenters. We repeatedly encourage these young couples to ‘lift up their hearts’ to all that marriage invites them to. One of the images that I love to use for marriage is the unique capacity that we have as human beings to gather up our whole self to make a gift of ourselves to another. This is a risk, but this self-gift is precisely what makes possible the good of personal commitment to another. If this is true in relation to loving another human being, a spouse, it is supremely true of being able to make a gift of ourselves to God!

The verse above is found in today’s liturgy, just before the proclamation of the Gospel. It is a powerful Gospel from John 8 that links directly to marriage and its greatest violation, adultery. While this passage is often applied more broadly to speak to the Lord’s compassionate and tender dealing with sinners, it also calls literally to marital fidelity.

Throughout the Old Testament—especially the Prophets—there are comparisons of Israel’s infidelity toward God with marital infidelity. While bigger than its application to marriage itself, we can’t overlook that it does speak to marriage and the countless ways that hearts can go astray and trust can be broken. Having been a priest for over a decade, I can attest to the profound pain caused by infidelity (of all kinds) to marriage vows. I am convinced of the immense and healing power of grace which is on offer in the Sacraments. I also commend retreat experiences for couples such as Worldwide Marriage Encounter (https://wwme.org/) and Retrouvaille (https:// helpourmarriage.org/) both held regularly in the Twin Cities metro. I often refer couples to these opportunities as well as counseling.

Let’s remember that this Sunday’s Gospel passage is only for those who find their marriage in tumult, for whatever reason. Jesus says, “Go and sin no more…” (Jn 8:11) to each of us who are courageous and humble enough to approach the font of Divine Mercy in the Sacrament of Penance!

As with the return of the Prodigal Son in last Sunday’s Gospel, returning deeply and wholeheartedly to the Lord is a process. We must gather our hearts before we can return fully to the Lord. But how do we return to Him with all our heart? We need to overcome the scattering and fragmenting effect of sin in our lives. I share these steps, all tied to the letter ‘R’ that can help us go about this season’s invitation:

1) Recollection (remembering our sins against God and others, asking the Holy Spirit to remind us)

2) Repentance (owning our need to be rescued and thinking rightly about ourselves as loved by God and yet in need of His grace)

3) Reconciliation (returning to the Lord and requesting a new beginning, seeking reconciliation with others we have hurt)

4) Restoration (making restitution and firm resolution, finding new habits of right living, aware that all is gift)

5) Readiness to Return (humble willingness to repeat these steps when we fall)

What are we waiting for? Let’s lift up our hearts to the Lord!

~Fr. Howe