Valentine’s Day this year was particularly special in the City of Makati, dubbed the financial capital of the Philippines. One of the churches here, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, formally opened a Jubilee Year to mark its 50th foundation anniversary.
Hundreds of devotees spent Heart’s Day on February 14 attending the Holy Mass at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, led by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.
In his homily, the cardinal reminded the faithful that despite the nonstop grind of today’s fast-paced society, respite can always be found in the Lord’s loving heart.
“How provident that our national shrine… is situated in the financial capital of our nation, in this place where many feel lost and forgotten, where many are burdened and burnt out by the pressure to prove more, profit more and produce more?” he said. “The Sacred Heart of Jesus assures each one of us that we are loved even before we succeed.”
Cardinal Advincula reflected on the pierced heart of Jesus, saying it is a sign of “a love fully poured out until the end.”
“The Sacred Heart offers us rest and restoration that lasts not just for a moment, not just in seasons, but forever. The yoke of Christ is easy because it binds us to Him and He does not let go,” he said.
The cardinal also urged everyone to never refrain from loving like Christ, who frees us from the fear of punishment, rejection, and the feeling of not being enough.
“When we truly believe that God has loved us first and has sent His Son for us, fear begins to loosen its grip in our hearts,” he said.
During this Mass, the Holy Door was officially opened and the Plenary Indulgence for the Jubilee Year was imparted to the faithful.
The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded by the Jesuits in 1957. The church was declared a national shrine in 1976 by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.
A 10-foot painting of the so-called “Smiling Sacred Heart” is enshrined at the church’s main retablo, painted by Father Armando Tangi of the Society of Saint Paul. He also commissioned its stained glass panels and portraits of evangelists and saints.
The Golden Jubilee of the national shrine will be celebrated until February 14, 2027.
