
by Mary Kay Oosdyke OP
“A Friend for My Heart—“Amiga de mi Corazon” morning retreat brought the tradition of Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, celebrated by the Church in June, to a deeper level. I invited wives of Deacons and Deacon Candidates to Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College Saturday, June 22 to explore Scripture passages in relationship to a spirituality of the heart. Sister Diane Zerfas led us from Exodus to Isaiah, to I John and Matthew, where the revelation of God’s heart in Jesus became clearer and our own hearts more engaged.
This time to reflect on God’s invitation of a heart to heart relationship proved fruitful. Jeremiah reminds us of God’s words: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have called you and you are mine.” As we shared in conversation groups, we recognized the need for peaceful attention to this relationship offered to us. An exercise of Zentangle led by Yoli Vega gave us a way to quiet and focus our attention, moving away from attention to the future to attention to the present, from judgement and critique to openness, acceptance, and peace. In that space our heart listens and speaks to God with ease and our perspective and behaviors change. And, the heart of Jesus is made present in our world again.