by Emily Lopez
Nothing quite signals the start of the new year like shelves adorned with pink hearts and red teddy bears.
Immediately after Christmas, stores begin to push Valentine’s Day as the next consumer holiday. We can become desensitized to these symbols of love as another attempt to lighten our wallets. However, this year, I encourage you to take in the endless array of hearts as a reminder of the greatest love in your life.
The gift of the human heart is central to experiencing authentic love with both God and others. The heart is not merely an organ but symbolizes the core of a person’s identity — where emotions, will and intentions reside. It is through the heart that individuals are capable of receiving and giving genuine and selfless love.
This profound understanding of the heart’s role in divine and interpersonal relationships is explored in “Dilexit Nos” (“He Loved Us”), an encyclical letter shared by Pope Francis in October 2024.
The heart, as described in “Dilexit Nos,” becomes the dwelling place manifesting God’s love. We know that “God first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19); this truth inspires our response. God’s love is not dependent on our worthiness; it is freely given, calling us to reflect this same unconditional love toward others.
When we open our heart to God, we experience a transformation that empowers us to live out love in its truest form — selfless, forgiving and enduring.
A central theme in “Dilexit Nos” is the importance of allowing God’s love to purify our heart. Without God, love can become shallow or self-centered.
However, when we invite God to dwell in our heart, love becomes an act of grace, fostering deeper connections with others. This divine love encourages compassion and justice, embodying the teachings of Christ and building his church.
Authentic love requires vulnerability and self-gift. It moves beyond the superficial to a rooting in truth, empathy and mutual respect. Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice reminds us that true love often involves personal cost.
When the heart is attuned to God’s will, it becomes capable of embracing difficult relationships with patience and understanding. Pope Francis shares that “love, in the end, is the one reality that can unify all the others” (Dn 10).
“Dilexit Nos” invites us to view the human heart as a sacred gift designed for authentic love. By surrendering our hearts to God, we are empowered to love sincerely and give selflessly. The journey to authentic love starts with the heart — a heart fully open to God’s transformative presence.
This Valentine season, may the hearts you see be a reminder of the incredible gift of Christ’s Sacred Heart and his power to enrich our lives with the tremendous grace of his love.
