Memorized by Heart

Those of us from an older generation remember the task of memorizing something by heart, a prayer, a passage of Scripture, even the Preamble to the Constitution. Memorizing by heart means that I can recall my favorite scripture without thinking. It arises within me like a well-known song or hymn. Head memorization, however, is different. I use associations to recall a password, or even someone’s name. I have to stop and think.

The heart is where the holy and sacred reside. It is where we encounter the mystery of Communion and where God dwells. Theology, the study of God, is a head thing. We can talk about love and God from the thoughts in our head, but at some point, our words fall short as we describe our experience. The head and the heart must connect for it all to make sense. Music and art seem closer to the God experience because they provide a glimpse through a creative and emotional process.

Because we are created by God, and known in our mother’s womb, we are memorized in the heart of Christ. It is why Christ calls us, and we seek Jesus. Even when we choose to forget God, there is in our heart, a memory planted there by our Creator. God’s DNA, call it the Christo Logos or the “likeness and image,” is what provides our eternal memory. The Psalmist sings of the steadfast love of God, which never ends and remains in our heart’s memory.

During Lent we fast, not to check off the spiritual boxes, but to enter into the heart of Christ. And there, bathed in His love, we encounter those who live in the memory of our love.