Heart

One of my professors at St. Mary’s Seminary taught that the opposite of love is a divided heart. We are all created to have a heart only devoted to Jesus, and all other love comes from him. If our heart is divided, it cannot love in the truest sense of the word.



I began my visit to Africa in Nairobi, where I first visited one of St. Kizito’s alumni, Moses. He is a wonderful young man and I consider him as a son. It was a special time for us to be together in his homeland of Kenya for the first time, and special also because I was able to meet the love of his life, as well as his young sister who has been HIV positive since birth and is often in Moses’ care. In our travels and exploration around Nairobi, we saw models of traditional homes, fed a giraffe named Laura (I drew the line at kissing her as the guide suggested!), and viewed government buildings. But the most important stops were to meet many of Moses' relatives. By the end of the short visit, I felt as if I was among family, and the prospect of leaving was sad indeed – for all of us. I pondered the situation, and began to question the wisdom of my professor. I realized that in these encounters and partings, it seems as if we leave a little piece of our heart behind. And we take a small piece of the heart of those we care about with us. The image of a divided heart kept coming to me, and I began to wonder how such a strong feeling of sadness on separating, this heartbreak, could be the opposite of love, since it stemmed from loving each other.

There is a strong sense of unity of the human family in Africa. "We are all family" is not just a casual phrase, but a deep seated reality. Since I left Nairobi, I have reunited with so many others who are “like family.” I have met new people who will also become part of the clan. And I will have to say goodbye to them all as well, as my time here will end soon enough. And this leaving will be followed by a reunion with my husband and children that I long for each day, even as I revel in being here in Uganda.

It all became very clear to me this morning as Fr. Don gave the concluding prayer at Mass. He prayed that we could all join the heart of Christ. And I reflected that Christ, who is the only true love, is also the only heart, and we are all one with him. As we do the work of Christ in the world, we encounter many people, some casually, and others as lasting connections. And we do exchange a bit of our heart with each other, so that ultimately all hearts may be as Christ’s – one with many parts. We give a bit so that we can receive much and experience the true love that is not of us, but for us in Christ.

The mass this morning was the third I had attended in 24 hours. Each of the Masses had a different settings, each had its own characteristics, but all three were very evidently a joining with Christ, one heart and one body. All of the Masses had one thing in common – they were all lively and joyful, Uganda style. The Mass at a girls vocational school brought beautiful singing and joyfully proclaimed readings, even very early in the morning. Mass with the Sacred Heart Sisters in their chapel was small and had a more peaceful joy and sense of togetherness. The celebration at the Women’s Prison was very inspiring. There was a freeing energy to the Mass and a hope that it would never end. Even the guards and matrons were seen swaying to the rhythmic beat of the music. One of our St. Kizito sons was with us - Moses - and he shared deeply with the women at the prison, offering some experiences from the depth of his heart to give them hope.

After the liturgy ended and we shared greetings with one another, one final song exploded into lively dancing - which I just couldn’t resist partaking in! As we all danced and moved among each other, the unity of all, with no concern for background and situation in life, was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. We were truly joining together as the heart of Christ.

In the celebration of the Eucharis, the host, the Body of Christ, is divided and shared in order for the community to be joined in praise. This too is happening to our hearts each day as we live in Jesus’ name.

When I finally return home, I will bring a changed heart. It will carry a small part of everyone I encounter here. It is a blessing.