Dear Friend,

Fac Cor Nostrum Secundum Cor Tuum

Reflection by Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly

It was nearly ten years ago – the first and only time I visited the Holy Land.  It was just at the conclusion of my first year as Rector/Dean of ICSST. I was most grateful for the opportunity to visit these sacred places along with two dear friends – one of whom had lived in Israel for several years and the other, like me, was making this pilgrimage for the first time. It was a truly blessed experience for all of us, with many memories that will last a lifetime and have already had a deep impact on my faith and vocation.

On our last day, we visited Saint Francis Ad Coenaculum Monastery which is located near the Cenacle, where tradition places the Last Supper and Pentecost. Our guide was a Holy Land Franciscan, so we were able to celebrate Mass in the chapel of the monastery, pictured above. There is a stunning and powerful bronze sculpture behind the altar.  It is a life-size depiction of  the Last Supper, with Jesus at the Center and his Apostles surrounding Him. What struck me then (and now) was the tabernacle, which was in the figure of Jesus at His Heart.  Jesus Christ was and is the center. It made me think then (and now):  Is Christ the center of my life?  My day? My ministry? My family? My Hopes and dreams for the future?

A number of years ago, in Lent of 2015, Pope Francis invited all people of faith to reflect upon and ponder this phrase: Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum – “make our hearts like unto yours”. I know I could use a bit of a refresher even some 8 years later, as we enter into the Sacred Triduum later this evening with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. We begin the Holy Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday every year with the words from the prophet Joel:“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart” (2:12).

Following Christ is an all-demanding affair that requires from each of us a love that is “all in” and holds nothing back. That gives me reason to pause … every year. But even more reason to be grateful – for the grace and mercy that come to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. My heart can only be completely His, free of division or compromise, by his power and with his help. The more I realize this truth and make it my own, the more the meaning of this Holy Season will endure well into the future.

Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum –“make our hearts like unto yours”. May this be our daily prayer – that my heart and yours will burn with Christ’s mercy and love and lead us to selfless and generous service mirroring His Sacred Heart, which was offered for the life of the world.

Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., is the former rector/dean of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. He holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, a licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from Pontificio Istituto Teresianum, Rome, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Fordham University. He has served as a member of the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board, the Advisory Committee on Continuing Education and Ongoing Formation of Priests, the Archdiocesan Vocations Board, and the Board of Trustees of Seton Hall University. Pope John Paul II named him a Chaplain to His Holiness in 2005, with the title of Reverend Monsignor. In 2016 during the Holy Year of Mercy, the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization sought priests who were living signs "of the Father's welcome to all those in search of His forgiveness." He was the only priest from the Archdiocese of Newark formally commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.