By Fr. Roy Cimagala
The heart referred to here is not just the biological organ that in itself already plays a very crucial role in our lives. Though hidden and is a very delicate part of the body, it actually powers our whole organism. Without it, the body obviously dies. And even with it malfunctioning, the whole body would severely suffer. We may remove some parts of the body and we still can live well. But not the heart. It is indispensable.
The heart referred to here is akin to the biological organ in the sense that it is the very seat of our being. It is where our whole identity is found. It is where all the reality that we perceive through our senses is integrated and acted on. It is where we develop what is truly proper to us, which is to love. It is where we use, or misuse, our freedom.
But we should never forget that the heart is not self-generated. It is a creature, a creature of God who wants it to be like his, his image and likeness. It is meant to be vitally united with God who is its very life, its very power and all. Without God, the heart at least malfunctions, if not dies.
We have to see to it that our heart is anchored on God through Christ in the Holy Spirit. He is the very source of our being, of our life. We are meant to be with him, though we can choose to stray from him due to the misuse of our freedom. That is why God always begs us, “My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” (Prov 23,26)
Everyday we have to see to it that indeed our heart is anchored on God. We should never let it float in any which way. We have to see to it that our heart increasingly gets united to God until it is fully identified with him.
In this regard, some words of St Paul are relevant: “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4,11-16)
In everything that we do, let’s see to it that we give our heart to God first before we give it to anybody or to anything else. Only then can we be said that we are doing things properly. Otherwise, we might be reprising the story of the Tower of Babel in our life.
That is why we have to do everything to make our heart vitally united with God. And for this purpose, everything is already given to us. We have the means of prayer, of the spirit of sacrifice. We have the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist where we have Christ making himself totally available to us.
We should just have to make our own plan of life where we give priority to certain practices of piety that will keep us with God always even while we work and play, do business and politics, etc.
We have to constantly ask the question: “Where do I give my heart? To whom do I give myself completely?” And let’s the ready with the correct answer.
