{"id":13068,"date":"2026-02-01T13:27:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alleluia.nyc\/?p=13068"},"modified":"2026-02-01T13:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:37:19","slug":"learning-to-love-through-devotions-to-the-holy-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alleluia.nyc\/?p=13068","title":{"rendered":"Learning to Love through Devotions to the Holy Hearts"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Every February, the health and fitness industry celebrates American Heart Month to remind us to examine the physical health of our hearts. As we enter into Lent this month and reflect upon God\u2019s great love for us, it is important to also check the spiritual health of our hearts.<\/h3>

\u201cGod does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart\u201d (1 Samuel 16:7). Our heart is the center of our being. The Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em> states:<\/h3>

\u201cThe heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place \u2018to which I withdraw.\u2019 The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant\u201d (CCC 2563).\u00a0<\/h3>

In our first Gospel<\/em> reading this month, Jesus teaches us that \u201cBlessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God\u201d (Matthew 5:8). Having a clean and pure heart \u201crefers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God’s holiness\u201d (CCC 2518). A heart single-focused on God and filled with love has no room for depraved tendencies. \u201cFrom within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly\u201d (Mark 7:21-22). If we whole-heartedly open ourselves to God, then sin and other worldly distractions cannot blind us to Him. Pope Francis explains that \u201cThe journey from a sick heart, from a sinful heart, from a heart that cannot see things well because it is in sin, to the fullness of the light of the heart, is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who guides us to take this journey. Through this journey of the heart, we can achieve \u2018seeing God.\u2019\u201d<\/h3>

With eternal love for us, the Lord wants us to have holy hearts. He says, \u201cI will sprinkle clean water over you to make you clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them\u201d (Ezekiel 36:25-27).<\/h3>

Saint Paul notes that \u201cthe love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us\u201d (Romans 5:5). Our spiritual heart receives this infusion of divine love\u2013the lifeblood of our Christian existence\u2013and pumps it through every fiber of our being. Animated by God\u2019s charity, we are enabled to pour out our human love to God and to others. These are the two most important things we can do (Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 22:37-40).<\/h3>

Our ability to give and receive love separates us from other creatures and prepares us for eternal life with the Lord. Pope Francis adds: \u201cTo see God means understanding the design of Providence in what happens to us, to recognize His presence in the Sacraments, His presence in our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and the suffering, and to recognize God there where He manifests Himself.\u201d Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that \u201cwhen you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received\u2013only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.\u201d<\/h3>

As a tribute to God\u2019s infinite love for us, we will explore heart-themed devotions in our \u201cWeekly Challenge\u201d section this month. Through these devotions to God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph, we revere their love and suffering and conform our hearts to God. Please feel free to comment on the transformative power of love and your favorite sacred devotions.<\/h3>

Best wishes for a blessed Lent filled with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to purify your heart and draw you closer to God!<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every February, the health and fitness industry celebrates American Heart Month to remind us to examine the physical health of our hearts. As we enter into Lent this month and reflect upon God\u2019s great love for us, it is important to also check the spiritual health of our hearts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[187,99,164,188,52,26,31],"tags":[192,101,166,200,55,21,36],"class_list":["post-13068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-devotions","category-faith","category-heart","category-holy-family","category-lent","category-love","category-prayer","tag-devotions","tag-faith","tag-heart","tag-holy-family","tag-lent","tag-love","tag-prayer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t