Since it was opened in 1885, people have been visiting the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Montmartre neighborhood overlooking Paris to take in more than just the view. Above the main altar in the sanctuary of the church, the Most Blessed Sacrament has been exposed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the past 138 years. Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway explains the grave motivation for the basilica’s construction. “In the wake of the French Revolution and the horrors committed in its name, Catholic France fell to its knees in a prayer of reparation. The great monument to this surging remorse is the basilica of Montmartre, dedicated to the Sacred Heart.”
This Friday, Jun 16, is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. The gospel for the Mass is the passage from St. Matthew where Our Lord says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” It’s fitting that this place of perpetual Eucharistic adoration is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the heart is the center of the human body, pumping lifeblood to every cell. The Blessed Sacrament is like the heart of the Mystical Body of Christ, that brings strength and healing and grace to the lives of the faithful who respond to His invitation to come to Him. Over the past 138 years, France has experienced times of political unrest, two world wars, German occupation, student protests, scandals, and great cultural change. Through it all, people have scaled the steep streets of Montmartre bringing with them their burdens to place in the wounded, fleshy Heart of Jesus, veiled under the appearance of bread.
Obviously, you don’t have to go to Paris to do this. It’s a great pious practice to stop into any Catholic church to pay Our Lord a “visit,” even if the Eucharist is not exposed for adoration. If you’ve never come to our Wednesday evenings of adoration from 7-9pm (which have become very popular), consider this an invitation. Say the rosary, meditate on the readings for Sunday Mass, or just tell Him what’s on your mind. The Heart of Jesus heals the wounds borne on His Mystical Body, of which we are a part. That’s why Our Lord tells us, “Come to me.”
posted 6/10/23
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 