Being Presentation

Called to be People of Heart

The Nano Nagle icon expresses the centrality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Nano’s life and in the spirituality of Presentation people. Nano had a great devotion to the humanity of Jesus, the icon of God’s compassion, traditionally expressed through devotion to the Sacred Heart. The humanity of Jesus is the icon of God’s indescribable richness, life, energy and power in relationship with all of creation. In particular, it is the icon of God’s compassion for those who are weak, sinful, oppressed and marginalised. It is from his heart that Jesus faithfully carries out his mission ‘to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, to give sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free’ and to proclaim God’s welcome embrace for all.

As disciples of Jesus, in the spirit of Nano Nagle, we are called to be people of heart

whose lives are directed from the deepest centre of our receptivity to God, and to others, that centre where we believe in God and entrust ourselves to others in deep respect, reverence and love… We want to image in our hearts the way of seeing, thinking, feeling and judging of Jesus, that is, his tenderness, mercy, understanding and love. – Father Michael Curran MSC

To be people of heart living in the world with the fire of God’s love means that we engage in the life work of transforming our own hearts as well as challenging and transforming the social and political systems that diminish humanity, cause violence and oppress those who are most vulnerable. In one of her poems Adrienne Rich writes:

My heart is moved by all I cannot save:
So much has been destroyed.
I have to cast my lot with those
Who age after age, perversely,
With no extraordinary power,
Reconstitute the world.

As Presentation women who have a tradition of devotion to Jesus as the icon of God’s compassion we commit ourselves as heart people ‘with no extraordinary power’ to the work of reconstituting the world in the spirit of Jesus and Nano Nagle.

Marlette Black pbvm, Queensland

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