With an Open Heart. How can we teach that God cares for us and loves us?

It’s always a challenge to introduce students to the big questions of life. Among them, the question of love is undoubtedly the most difficult. That’s why, these past few days, I was so grateful to be invited to the preview from the documentary Sacred Heart: His kingdom will have no end.

          The gathering had that festive atmosphere typical of World Youth Day or meetings with the Pope: priests, religious brothers, and nuns—about 200 people—filled the movie theater. We sat down, the lights went out, and a young woman influencer He put it into context. “This production was an unprecedented success in France. They weren’t expecting many people, but half a million ended up attending. Since then, the feature film has been touring the world. It hits Chilean theaters this Thursday, August 20.”.

What is the plot? Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (a nun of the Order of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial, 17th century) received as a gift a spark from the Heart of Jesus. Through that grace, she personally experienced something of the love that God has for humanity. Centered around this theme, the film weaves in testimonies from people who experienced a transformation in their lives following their encounter with the Lord.

After an hour and a half, we left feeling moved, hearing all kinds of comments. “I really wish the students preparing for Confirmation could have come to see it,” remarked the chaplains from a school. “Did you cry?” others asked, somewhere between genuine curiosity and joking. As for me, I left in silence, feeling a bit overwhelmed. I got on the subway to head home and couldn’t bring myself to read a single line on my Kindle. I was in a state of shock… Is it possible to live like that—like Saint John resting on Jesus’ chest, day and night? I haven’t been able to get that question out of my head…

Along with this, I know there is a treasure here for my classes: How can I teach that God cares for us and loves us? The Sacred Heart of Jesus is, without a doubt, a powerful answer.