The Sacred Heart of Jesus: A Heart for the Broken

When Everything Falls Apart

Each of us carries a story - a unique journey marked by twists we never saw coming, yet somehow, when we look back, we start to see the threads of meaning woven through it all. The experiences of our past don’t just shape who we are; they mold how we see what’s ahead. 

Just as I am sure you all have, as I am not unique in any way, I’ve lived through moments that left me feeling alone, broken and helpless. But none stands out more vividly than that time we nearly lost everything. Midway through my wife’s fifth pregnancy, she faced a sudden medical emergency that threatened both her life and the life of our unborn child. 

As a husband and father, I felt powerless. I cried out in anger - angry at the possibility of loss, scared of what the future might hold, numb to the weight of the moment. The hours crawled by each one bringing its own flood of emotion. But in the waves of fear and grief, I kept turning my heart toward Christ. I leaned into His mercy, pleaded for Mary’s intercession, and found - no, not peace - but grace. A grace that didn’t take away the pain, but that held me together in the midst of it all. It was enough to steady me - to help me be strong for my wife, for our unborn child, and for the children waiting at home. 

By God’s mercy, they both made it through. Nearly twenty weeks of bed rest followed, along with countless challenges - emotional, financial, professional. But we made it. And more than that, we were transformed.

His Heart is for You

The mercy of Christ is beyond our human comprehension. As visual creatures, seeking tangible experiences, we can look to our sacred art and see this in the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In this image drawn by Thomas Loustalot, we see that His heart is not

hidden from view. It's front and center, burning with flame, wrapped in thorns, pierced, and yet still shining. It’s not a pristine, untouchable symbol. Instead, it is shown to us as wounded and radiant. That alone tells us something profound: Christ doesn’t love us in theory. He loves us through His wounds and into ours.

The Sacred Heart is not just a devotion. It’s an invitation. It invites every one of us, especially those carrying the heaviness, doubts, or deep hurts that this life has to offer. This invitation is for us to draw near to God who doesn’t stand at a distance. It reminds us that Jesus sees us, not for who we pretend to be, but for who we really are. 

He loves us for our hearts that are broken, for our sense of feeling overwhelmed, our guilt and our shame. He loves us for our blindness to the truth and the goodness that He has for us. 

He loves YOU! His heart is for YOU! He wants you, just as you are. He will meet you there. Because it is in our mess, not in our perfection, that His mercy flows most freely. 

A Heart that Sees the Broken

I think sometimes we imagine God as being far off - too holy, too perfect, too divine to really understand what we’re going through. But the truth is, Jesus doesn’t look away from our wounds. He looks straight into them. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a heart that pities from a distance. It is a heart that enters in. It is the same heart that beat in the chest of a man who wept at Lazarus’ tomb, who felt compassion for the woman at the well, who forgave Peter’s betrayal through denial, and who cried out in anguish from the garden of Gethsemani to his dying breath on the cross.

When we are at our lowest - when we are ashamed of who we’ve become or exhausted from pretending we have it all together - His heart is already there. Not waiting for us to clean up our act, but there, longing to bind up the brokenness.

There’s a passage in Psalm 34 that says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit.” That’s not a metaphor. That’s a promise. One that I’ve seen fulfilled again and again in my own life, and in the lives of those I’ve walked with in ministry. 

So if you’re reading this and feel like you’ve failed too many times, wandered too far, or broken too much - know this: He sees YOU! He’s coming for YOU! …and His heart is still burning for YOU!

Restoration Over Perfection

Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing a lie. That lie is that God only draws near when we’ve “gotten it all together”. That holiness is about flawless behavior. That healing means forgetting the pain. But the Sacred Heart reminds us: Christ came not to applaud our perfection but to restore our wholeness. 

And restoration is messy. 

In my own life, I’ve found that healing rarely looks like a straight line. It’s more like a slow return that involves one "yes" at a time. One moment of trust that I’m still loved, still called, still held. Not despite my wounds, but in the very places where I carry them. 

The Heart of Jesus doesn’t recoil from our pain. He enters it. And from within it, He begins to rebuild. Grace by grace. Moment by moment. 

Perfection isn’t the goal. Communion is. Trust is. Surrender is. He doesn’t need our polish; he wants our presence. Even if all that we have to offer is a broken “yes,” it’s enough for Him to begin.

Practical Encouragement: Drawing Close to His Heart

So where do we go from here?

If the Sacred Heart of Jesus is truly open to the broken, how do we begin to draw close to it? Especially when we’re tired, hurting, unsure?

The answer, my sisters and brothers, isn't complicated. It doesn’t require perfection. It starts with desire; even if all you can do is muster a whisper of hope that maybe, just maybe, His love is real and for you. 

Here are a few simple ways to begin: 

Whisper a prayer to the Sacred Heart: “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.” Say it when you rise, when you feel overwhelmed, or when you don’t know what else to pray for. Even simpler... Lean into the Divine mercy that comes from His heart: “Jesus, I Trust in You.”

Sit with Him in Eucharistic Adoration. You don’t have to speak. Just be. Let your brokenness meet His presence. I like to see my time in front of our Lord as radiation therapy. We need to let His love radiate over us and welcome him in to speak to our Hearts. 

Place an Image of the Sacred Heart somewhere visible in your home, your office, or your phone wallpapers as a reminder that you are loved, as you are.

Talk to Him honestly. Tell Him where it hurts. Tell Him where you’ve stopped believing you're lovable. Let that be your offering. Trust me when I say this. Whatever is on your heart, LET IT OUT! He can take it, I promise. I mean, he did create everything in existence. So remind yourself that feeling you feel… He invented the feeling. So, don’t hold back. 

You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to show up and TRUST that He’ll meet you there. Arms wide open, His Heart ready to greet yours. 

A Heart for You, Right Now

Maybe you’re still carrying something heavy. Maybe you’ve tried to bring it to the Lord before and felt like nothing changed. Maybe you’ve kept showing up but still feel like your heart’s not whole. If that’s you, I want you to hear this: 

His Sacred Heart is still beating for you. Right now.

Not for who you think you should be. Not for the version of you that has it all figured out. But for you, as you are.

This Heart is not just a symbol, it’s a promise. A promise that nothing you’ve done, no suffering you’ve endured, no burden you carry, is beyond His mercy. In fact, those very wounds may be the door through which grace enters. 

So today, don't strive to be perfect. Just be present. Be honest. Be real. And place your heart inside of His. 

Because the heart of Jesus is not a prize for the perfect; it’s THE refuge for the broken. It’s always open. Always!

Jesus, through your Sacred Heart, have Mercy on Us. We TRUST in YOU!

May God Bless you all, now and always!

In the Love of Christ,

Dcn. Jules

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Deacon Jules Breaux is a husband, father of five, and serves as a permanent deacon at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Broussard, Louisiana. He is the founder of Lumen Cor Mission, a ministry focused on renewing parish life through strategic leadership and pastoral care. With an MBA and a background in data analytics, Jules brings a unique blend of faith and practical insight to his work. He is the author of Upon This Rock, a spiritual memoir and devotional that reflects on encountering God’s presence through the unexpected. His ministry is rooted in mercy, restoration, and a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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