Fr. Louis Okot Ochermoi: “The Heart of Christ and Radical Apostolic Love”

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is well demonstrated in what Jesus say and does. It is a Heart that turn things upside down, and this caused scandal both to the outsiders and his followers. He declared a new earth for the poor and disadvantaged. How blessed are you who are poor: the kingdom of God is yours (Lk 6: 20.21.24.25; Mt 5:3.6). Happy are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers: they will be called children of God. Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant. Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you (Mt 20: 25-26; 23: 29-36; 5: 5.9.38-44; 23:4; Lk 10:29-37).

And what does Jesus do? For Jesus there is nothing more important than to be present where there is a paralytic to rehabilitate him, a leper to re-integrate him in the society, a deaf or blind person to heal (Mt 8:1-17; Mk 5:23.36). It seems he has nothing to do. He was so immersed with the poor up to the point they reproached him. “He is out of his mind” they said (Mk 3:21; Jn 10:20). Indeed, he didn’t even have time to eat (Mk 6:31; 3:20). More than preaching with words, Jesus reveals to us through his behavior what the kingdom of God looks like (Lk 24:19). God personally dries the tears of those who suffer (Lk 7:13), destroys the causes of weeping, complaining, brings the dead back to life, and invites us to join in this task (Lk 8:50; 12:13-15; 7:14; 8:54; 9:57-62 Jn 11:33-34).

From here, I present some of the fundamental changes in the scale of values: To aspire always for superior justice and not justify oneself (Mt 5:20). Material goods have worth if they serve humanity (Lk 12: 15). And work for the civilization of “us.” The new earth towards which Jesus asks us to walk, should not be the civilization of “I,” but a civilization of “us” (Mt 6:9-13). And finally, a hierarchy not of dominion but of servants (Mt 9:36; 20:25; Lk 22:25; Mk 10:43-44).

All these help me to understand that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the excessive source of St. Daniel Comboni’s Missionary vocation and evangelization. This Sacred Heart of Jesus sparked in many Saints a profound experience of “remaining in” Jesus (Jn 15:4) and being sent by him to serve the poor and most abandoned (Jn 20:21; 21:6, 15-17,19; Mt 4:18-22).

Comboni, gradually centered himself in Jesus. He nourished his missionary vocation through those who remained in Jesus and his visit to the Holy Land; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque being one of the major ones. He was inspired during her beatification to write his “Plan of the Regeneration of Africa.” He strongly believed that this Heart also beat for Africa too. And hence for him to be a missionary is to preach Christ and the unconditional love of God for humanity and especially the most abandoned. This passionate Heart is the hub of his Apostolic passion of building the “new earth” – “Kingdom of God.” Comboni, in his lifetime and now, invites his followers to fix their eyes on Jesus Christ loving him tenderly.  We can understand why the Sacred Heart of Jesus is important to every Comboni missionary. From this Heart we draw the energy and spirit of radical prophetism, making common cause with the most abandoned, defending and working for the care of the common home and passion for mission for which we live and work.

Comboni Missionaries