On October 2, Bishop David Bonnar spoke at the First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown about his reflections on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Bonnar stressed the importance of a devotion to Jesus’ heart because through His heart, we can know the unconditional and divine love of God, ourselves, and how to love others. He decided to act on papal encouragement toward such devotional practice by inviting every person in the Diocese to participate in an enthronement of the Sacred Heart.
Listeners were called to increase their own devotion through three main points taken from the title of his third pastoral letter. First, he said, they should “Take Heart,” welcoming a deeper, heart-to-heart relationship with Christ. Second, he asked that they not “lose heart” or become disillusioned or despairing. Lastly, the bishop invited the audience to “Behold the Sacred Heart”, a calling to look, see and pay attention to God, who is of greatest importance. He was inspired as Bishop to call the faithful to exercise and take care of their hearts through a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the Q&A portion, two students from Cardinal Mooney High School asked how we can implement devotion to the Sacred Heart into our lives, and live more like Christ and not like the world. The bishop recommended carrying an image of the Sacred Heart and taking time for prayer, especially Eucharist Adoration. In regards to questions about vocational needs, the bishop spoke about the temporary solution of bringing in extern priests, who are vetted through a comprehensive process.
For details about upcoming speakers for the First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown, please visit firstfridayclubofgreateryoungstown.org or call 330-720-4498.
Bishop Bonnar’s full reflections are available for viewing on YouTube courtesy of the First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown channel.
