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Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
I was baptized at a Sacred Heart Church, served Parokia Moyo Mtakatifu (Sacred Heart in Kenya) and served the Sacred Heart community of Tampa for many years. There’s a history.
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a celebration that falls 19 days after Pentecost, on a Friday. The liturgical feast was first celebrated in Rennes, France. The liturgy was approved by the local bishop at the behest of St. John Eudes, who celebrated the Mass at the major seminary in Rennes on August 31, 1670. You’ll notice that the first celebration was not situated in the days following Pentecost. St. John Eudes composed a Mass and a set of prayers for outside the Mass (referred to as an “Office”) that were quickly adopted in other places in France.
In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the Feast of the Sacred Heart as obligatory for the whole Church, to be celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi.
The Roots of the Devotion
But the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is much older. The beginnings of a devotion of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus are found in the fathers of the Church, including Origen, Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Saint Irenaeus, Saint Justin Martyr, and Saint Cyprian. In the 11th century this devotion found a renewal in the writings of Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries. This expression was given form by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th century in his famous poem/prayer “O Sacred Head Surrounded.”
A Franciscan Connection
In the 13th century, the Franciscan St. Bonaventure’s work “With You is the Source of Life” (which is the reading for the Divine Office on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart) began to point to the heart as the fountain from which God’s love poured into our lives:
“Take thought now, redeemed man, and consider how great and worthy is he who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life, but at his passing heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder. It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death on the cross, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They shall look on him whom they pierced.’ The blood and water, which poured out at that moment, were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s heart as from a fountain, this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.”
Also in the 13th century we find the very popular devotional “Vitis mystica” (the mystical vine) a lengthy devotional to Jesus, which vividly describes the “Sacred Heart” of Jesus as the font and fullness of love poured into the world. This work is anonymous, but most often attributed to St. Bonaventure.
The Devotion Spreads Slowly
At the end of the 13th century, St. Gertrude, on the feast of St. John the Evangelist, had a vision in which she was allowed to rest her head near the wound in the Savior’s side. She heard the beating of the Divine Heart and asked John if, on the night of the Last Supper, he too had felt this beating heart, why then had he never spoken of the fact. John replied that this revelation had been reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have need to rekindle its love.
From that time until the time of St. John Eudes the devotion continues to spread, primarily as a private devotion, but one that was increasingly wide-spread. The Franciscans continued the devotion within their fraternity and their churches, but other religious orders also prayed the devotion: the Jesuits, the Carmelites of Spain, and the Benedictines.
The Devotion Renewed: Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque
In the late 17th century the devotion was renewed and adopted elsewhere, especially following the revelations to Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque. The saint, a cloistered nun of the Visitation Order, received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart, the first on December 27, 1673, and the final one 18 months later. The visions revealed to her the form of the devotion, the chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month, Eucharistic adoration during a “Holy hour” on Thursdays, and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Initially discouraged in her efforts to follow the instruction she had received in her visions, Alacoque was eventually able to convince her superior of the authenticity of her visions. She was unable, however, to convince a group of theologians of the validity of her apparitions, nor was she any more successful with many of the members of her own community. She eventually received the support of St. Claude de la Colombière, S.J., the community’s confessor for a time, who declared that the visions were genuine. Alacoque’s short devotional writing, La Devotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jesus (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus), was published posthumously in 1698. Here is an excerpt:
“And He [Christ] showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure Him all the honor and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those divine treasures of which His heart is the source.”
The devotion was fostered by the Jesuits and Franciscans, but it was not until the 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor by Pope Pius XI that the Church validated the credibility of Alacoque’s visions of Jesus Christ in having “promised her [Alacoque] that all those who rendered this honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces.”
The World Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German noble women, who at the age of 25 joined the congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, in Munster. She was given the name, Sr. Mary of the Divine Heart. In 1894, at the age of 31, she was transferred to Portugal and appointed superior of Oporto, Portugal. While there she reported some messages from Jesus Christ in which she was asked to contact the pope, requesting the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On June 10, 1898, her confessor at the Good Shepherd monastery wrote to Pope Leo XIII stating that Sister Mary of the Divine Heart had received a message from Christ, requesting the pope to consecrate the entire world to the Sacred Heart. The pope initially did not believe her and took no action. However, on January 6, 1899 she wrote another letter, asking that in addition to the consecration, the first Fridays of the month be observed in honor of the Sacred Heart. In the letter she also referred to the recent illness of the pope and stated that Christ had assured her that Pope Leo XIII would live until he had performed the consecration to the Sacred Heart.
Pope Leo XIII commissioned an inquiry on the basis of her revelation and Church tradition. In his 1899 encyclical letter Annum Sacrum, Leo XIII decreed that the consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on June 11, 1899. Here is the consecration Pope Leo composed for the consecration:
“Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.
“Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
“Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
“Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.
“Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: ‘Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever.’” Amen
The 100th Anniversary of the Feast of the Sacred Heart
In a landmark encyclical, Haurietis aquas (Latin: “You will draw waters”; written May 15, 1956) Pope Pius XII began his reflection by drawing from Isaiah 12:3, a verse which alludes to the abundance of the supernatural graces which flow from the heart of Christ. Haurietis aquas called the whole Church to recognize the Sacred Heart as an important dimension of Christian spirituality. Pius XII gave two reasons why the Church gives the highest form of worship to the Heart of Jesus. The first rests on the principle whereby the believers recognize that Jesus’ Heart is hypostatically united to the “Person of the Incarnate Son of God Himself.” The second reason is derived from the fact that the Heart is the natural sign and symbol of Jesus’ boundless love for humans. The encyclical recalls that for human souls the wound in Christ’s side and the marks left by the nails have been “the chief sign and symbol of that love” that ever more incisively shaped their life from within.
In a letter on May 15, 2006 Benedict XVI wrote: “By encouraging devotion to the Heart of Jesus, the Encyclical Haurietis aquas exhorted believers to open themselves to the mystery of God and of his love and to allow themselves to be transformed by it. After 50 years, it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome Him ever better into their lives.
As the encyclical states, from this source, the heart of Jesus, originates the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and a deeper experience of His love. Thus, according to Benedict XVI, we will be able to understand better what it means to know God’s love in Jesus Christ, to experience Him, keeping our gaze fixed on Him to the point that we live entirely on the experience of His love, so that we can subsequently witness to it to others.
Consecration to the Sacred Heart
As our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our independence this summer, on behalf of Bishop Burbidge, I would like to inform you of an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The consecration took place on June 11, 2026. As many of you are aware, Bishop Loverde consecrated our diocese to the Sacred Heart in November 2011. This year will be an opportunity to “reconsecrate” ourselves and our diocese to God’s ever-faithful love which flows from his most Sacred Heart.
Memorial of St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas was one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem, Jewish and Cypriot by birth. He was sent to Antioch as an emissary of the Church in Jerusalem and witnessed the work of the Lord. At some time before this, St. Paul had his Damascus Road experience and conversion. “When [Paul] arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” (Acts 9:26) and it seems he moved on to Tarsus and resumed his trade as a tentmaker. Continue reading
To the lost sheep
This Sunday is the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The gospel is from the opening verses of the Matthean Missionary Discourse. In the previous post we discussed Jesus’ commissioning of the Twelve but noted the geographical limitations on the mission. It is worth exploring this limitation a bit more.
R.T France [2007, 381] notes: “Jesus is the Messiah of God’s people Israel (Mt 2:6), coming in fulfillment of Israel’s scriptures (as we have seen repeatedly in chs. 1–2 and since) to save “his people” from their sins (1:21). So it is at first sight not surprising that it is specifically to Israel that his disciples are also sent. That will be more than enough to keep them busy until “the Son of Man comes.”
As the Twelve continue to journey with Jesus, there will be encounters with non-Israelites, for example,
- The encounter with the Canaanite woman in Mt 15
- Responding to a Roman soldier in Mt 8
- Delivering a Gentile demoniac also in Mt 8 while clearly in non-Jewish territory on the other side of the Sea of Galilee
But then again Jesus can certainly define his own area of mission nonetheless Jesus’ own response to the faith of the Canaanite woman and Roman soldier are a foreshadowing of a salvation other than an exclusively Jewish presence in the kingdom of heaven.
It is also noteworthy that Galilee is completely surrounded by gentile territory except to the south, but then that is Samaria. The mission is effectively restricted to Galilee, but even then in the mixed society of Galilee there would inevitably be some earlier contact with Gentiles.
Image credit: Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain
The Foundation
Today is the third of three days reflecting on the daily gospels all taken from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. They are not merely three disconnected sections of the Sermon on the Mount; they describe a progression in Christian discipleship:
Monday, the question was: Who is God shaping me to become? Yesterday we asked: what effect does that transformed life have on others? The answer is simple: a life formed by the Beatitudes becomes salt for and light that changes the world. Over the last two days, Jesus has shown us the shape of the Christian life and its mission. Today he reveals its foundation: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
At first glance, this may seem like a change of subject. But it answers an important question. Why should we live according to the Beatitudes? Why should we strive to be salt and light? Why not simply follow our own preferences, the latest trends, or whatever the culture happens to value at the moment? That’s modern life, not Christian life. Jesus tells us that the Christian life is rooted in God’s eternal plan.
The Law and the Prophets were not mistakes to be discarded. Together they describe what it means to be a covenant people – and they were preparing the way for Jesus, the one who would fulfill all that the Law and Prophets required. In Jesus, God’s purpose for humanity reaches its fulfillment – true sons and daughters of God. The Beatitudes are not simply beautiful ideals, they are the Wisdom of God to invite us into participation in God’s work. The Christian life is not self-invention or some vague moral life. We are not creating our own morality or choosing values that happen to feel attractive.
If we are swayed by public opinion, social trends, or personal preference, then we are but a thermometer simply reflecting the temperature in the room. The Christian life is to be on mission for Christ. The mission is founded on Christ himself. Things in the world change; they come, they go. But Christ remains. The disciple who builds on Christ discovers a foundation that can withstand uncertainty, suffering, and change.
Jesus fulfills the Law by revealing its deepest purpose. He reveals the meaning of the law – not a life regulated by do’s and don’t’s but a life ordered toward love of God and neighbor.
Over these three days, Jesus has led us on a journey. First, he showed us the shape of the Christian life: the Beatitudes. Then he showed us its mission: to be salt and light. Today he reveals its foundation: God’s saving plan fulfilled in Christ.
The challenge before us is simple. Let Christ shape our hearts. Let our lives become light for others. And let us build everything upon the One who came not to abolish, but to fulfill the deepest desire of God – that all be saved.
Amen.
Image credit: Sermon on the Mount (1877) by Carl Heinrich Bloch, Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Public Domain
The Commission
This Sunday is the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The gospel is from the opening verses of the Matthean Missionary Discourse. In the previous post we discussed the summoning and significance of the 12 disciples called “apostles” (this one and only time in Matthew) and later called “the Twelve.” In this post The commission of the Twelve is spelled out in strictly functional terms as an extension of Jesus’ mission described in Mt 8 and 9. Note that the commission and its terms are also found in in Mark 6:7–11; Luke 9:1–5; 10:1–12.
5 Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
The text of the commissioning covers three aspects of their mission: to whom they are to go (vv. 5–6); the nature of their mission in both word and deed (vv. 7–8); and although not part of our gospel the natural boundaries of Matthew’s pericope (a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought) extend to v.15 and includes the familiar:
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:9–15)
Many people note that the commission is given with geographical boundaries established: “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” How does this make sense in the final mission statement in Mt 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”? There is an argument to be made that Jesus’ mission and the commissioning of the Twelve was to engage the God’s people Israel to be the light to all the nations – the work for which they were commissioned. By Mt 28, Jesus has been firmly rejected as Messiah, but the larger mission of drawing in all the nations remains. In this God’s people Israel are replaced by the Twelve.
Image credit: Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain
When the Beatitudes become visible
Today is the second of three consecutive days when I am presiding at the parish daily Mass. The three gospels are all taken from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. What follows is really one longer reflection delivered over three days because these three Gospel passages form a remarkably coherent sequence. They are not merely three disconnected sections of the Sermon on the Mount; they describe a progression in Christian discipleship:
- Who we are becoming (The Beatitudes) – yesterday
- What our lives are meant to do (Salt and Light) – today
- The foundation upon which we live (Fulfillment of the Law) – tomorrow
Together they form a unified theme: The Shape, the Mission, and the Foundation of the Christian Life.
In yesterday’s reflection, we noted that the Beatitudes remind us that God is not simply interested in improving our behavior. The challenge of the first reflection was: what kind of person is God shaping me to become? Jesus’ hope is that the transformation of our hearts will shape our lives as Christians.
Our Lives Visible to the World
Today Jesus’ goal is to show us what happens when that Christian life becomes visible. Jesus tells the disciples, “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of the world.” Notice that Jesus does not say, “You should try to become salt” or “You should try to become light.” He says, “You are.” Such is the commission of our Baptism. The question is whether we are living in a way that fulfills that identity.
Salt changes whatever it touches. Light transforms darkness simply by being present. That is what happens when the Beatitudes become real in a person’s life. A merciful person changes the atmosphere of a family. A peacemaker changes the atmosphere of a workplace. A person who hungers and thirsts for righteousness changes the atmosphere of a community. It is the difference between being a thermometer that just reflects the temperature of the room and being a thermostat that sets the temperature.
The world often imagines that such influence comes from power, wealth, status, or attention. Jesus offers another vision. The disciple influences the world not primarily through position, but through witness.
Think of the people who have most influenced your faith. They were probably not famous. They may have been a parent, grandparent, teacher, coach, friend, priest, or religious sister. Their influence came from the way they lived. Their lives were the salt that seasoned your life; the light that reflected Christ into your world.
That is what Jesus means when he says: “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” The goal is not that people notice us. The goal is that people see something of God through us. What we have received from others, we pay forward by the lives we live.
Yesterday we asked: Who is God shaping me to become? Today we ask: What effect does that transformed life have on others? The answer is simple: a life formed by the Beatitudes becomes salt for and light that changes the world.
Image credit: Sermon on the Mount (1877) by Carl Heinrich Bloch, Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Public Domain
The Apostles
This Sunday is the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The gospel is from the opening verses of the Matthean Missionary Discourse. From the first verses one should notice a change in vocabulary as Jesus “summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles…” (Mt 10:1-2) Up until this point those who follow Jesus have been referred to as “disciples.”
The term “disciple” generally refers to a follower or student of a teacher. In the context of the Gospel of Matthew, it primarily refers to those who followed Jesus during his earthly ministry, learning from his teachings and observing his actions. The disciples were individuals who chose to follow Jesus, committing themselves to his teachings and the way of life he exemplified. They were his close companions, accompanying him on his journeys, witnessing his miracles, and receiving personal instruction from him.
The term “apostle” specifically refers to a subset of disciples who were appointed by Jesus for a specific mission. The word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means “one who is sent out.” In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus chooses twelve of his disciples and designates them as apostles. The names of the twelve apostles are listed: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John (the sons of Zebedee), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus). While all apostles were disciples, not all disciples were apostles. The apostles had a unique commission to continue the work of Jesus after his departure, spreading the good news, establishing the church, and teaching others to observe all that Jesus had commanded them (Matthew 28:19-20).
This is the only time Matthew uses the word “apostle.” In the remainder of the gospel they are indicated by context or are referred to as “the Twelve.” R.T. France [2007, 375] notes: “It is surprising that Matthew does not use again what must have been, by the time he wrote his gospel, a familiar title for this inner group, but perhaps this indicates his awareness of a difference in function between the ‘apostles’ as church leaders in his day and the role of the Twelve as companions of Jesus during his ministry.”
Note that this is not an account of their “calling” as a group of 12. As individuals they had already been called, but even here they seem to be an already established group as they are “summoned.” The Gospels of Mark and Luke also list the apostles. With the exception of Thaddeus, the names are the same in all these lists, though the order of the names and the descriptions of the individuals vary a little. Scholars have noted that Matthew’s list has two distinctive features: it is arranged in pairs (perhaps reflecting the tradition that they were sent out in pairs and Simon (Peter), who comes first in all the lists and whose leading role among the twelve is clear in all the gospels, is explicitly designated in Matthew as “first,” even though no further numbering follows for the remainder of the names.
France [2007, 376] notes:
Jesus’ choice of twelve as the number of his inner circle has, and must surely have had at the time, obvious symbolic importance as the number of the sons of Jacob and thus of the tribes of Israel. People might have remembered Moses’ choice of twelve tribal leaders in Num 1:1–16, and it is even possible that Matthew’s phrase “These are the names of …” is a deliberate echo of Num 1:4, “These are the names of the men who shall assist you.” The symbolism will become explicit in 19:28, where these twelve disciples are given an eschatological role when, alongside the Son of Man seated on his own glorious throne, they too “will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” There is no reason to believe that these twelve Galilean men were in fact drawn from all twelve traditional tribes; their significance was in their number, not in their ancestry. When one of the Twelve was lost (note the emphatic “the eleven disciples” in 28:16, after Judas’ death), the number was sufficiently important for him to need to be replaced (Acts 1:15–26), though even before that Paul continues to refer to them as “the Twelve” (1 Cor 15:5). So from an early point in his ministry Jesus was apparently thinking in terms of an alternative “Israel” with its own leadership based now not on tribal origin but on the Messiah’s call.
Image credit: Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain
Who are we becoming?
Today is the first of three consecutive days when I am presiding at the parish daily Mass. The three gospels are all taken from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. What follows is really one longer reflection delivered over three days because these three Gospel passages form a remarkably coherent sequence. They are not merely three disconnected sections of the Sermon on the Mount; they describe a progression in Christian discipleship:
- Who we are becoming (The Beatitudes) – today
- What our lives are meant to do (Salt and Light) – tomorrow
- The foundation upon which we live (Fulfillment of the Law) – the next day
Together they form a unified theme: The Shape, the Mission, and the Foundation of the Christian Life.
Who we are becoming (The Beatitudes)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes up the mountain, sits down, and begins to teach. His first words are not commands. He does not begin by telling his disciples what they must do. Instead, he describes the kind of people who belong to the Kingdom of God. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven…Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy…Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
When we hear the Beatitudes, it is tempting to hear them as a checklist of virtues. But they are more than that. They are a portrait of Jesus himself. Jesus is poor in spirit, trusting completely in the Father. Jesus is merciful toward sinners. Jesus is pure of heart. Jesus is the peacemaker who reconciles humanity to God through the Cross. In other words, the Beatitudes show us what a life transformed by God looks like.
This is important because we often think about our life of faith in terms of activities: attending Mass, praying, serving others, following commandments. All of these are important. But before Christianity is about what we do, it is about who we are becoming. It is about God shaping us into the likeness of Christ.
That shaping often happens quietly. We become merciful by learning to forgive. We become humble by recognizing our dependence on God. We become peacemakers by choosing reconciliation over resentment. Most of us do not become saints through dramatic moments. We become saints through daily conversion.
The Beatitudes remind us that God is not simply interested in improving our behavior. He is transforming our hearts.
As we begin this three-day journey through the Sermon on the Mount, let us ask ourselves: What kind of person is God shaping me to become? Because before Jesus speaks about our mission in the world, he first teaches us the shape of the Christian life.
Image credit: Sermon on the Mount (1877) by Carl Heinrich Bloch, Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Public Domain
Taiwan: what is at stake
For decades, U.S. policy has been characterized by “strategic ambiguity.” Washington intentionally avoids answering two questions:
- Would the United States definitely defend Taiwan militarily?
- Would Taiwan be supported if it declared formal independence?
The purpose is to discourage both a Chinese attack on Taiwan and a unilateral declaration of independence by Taiwan. By leaving its response uncertain, the United States seeks to deter actions by either side that could trigger a conflict. Successive administrations, both Republican and Democratic, have generally pursued four goals: preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, deter the use of force by China, support Taiwan’s ability to defend itself, and avoid unilateral changes to the status quo by either Beijing or Taipei.
American concern about Taiwan is driven by several factors:
- strategic location – Taiwan sits near major sea lanes and occupies a key position in the Western Pacific.
- democratic values – Taiwan has evolved into a vibrant democratic society. Many American policymakers see support for Taiwan as consistent with broader U.S. support for democratic partners.
- economic importance – Taiwan plays a critical role in global technology supply chains, especially through Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSNC), the world’s leading advanced semiconductor manufacturer.
It is reminiscent of the 1900 policy of the United States: The China Open Door. The policy was focused on securing international agreement of equal opportunity for international trade and commerce in China, and respect for China’s administrative and territorial integrity. The articulation of the Open Door policy represented the growing American interest and involvement in East Asia at the turn of that century. Still seems to ring true today – ambiguity and all.
But what’s at stake for China? From Beijing’s perspective, the principal potential gain is political and strategic: completing national unification, strengthening regime legitimacy, and improving China’s position in the western Pacific. The principal risks are economic disruption, military losses, possible conflict with the United States and its allies, and the long-term challenge of governing a resistant Taiwanese population. As a result, many analysts believe Chinese leaders face a difficult calculation: the symbolic and strategic value of Taiwan is extraordinarily high, but the costs of achieving reunification by force could also be extraordinarily high and highly uncertain. The uncertainty itself, more than any single factor, is one reason why China has thus far relied primarily on military pressure, economic influence, and diplomatic efforts rather than launching an invasion.
Massive Economic Costs. This is arguably the greatest risk. China’s economy remains deeply connected to global trade, finance, and technology markets. An invasion could trigger international sanctions, restrictions on advanced technology imports, capital flight, reduced foreign investment and disruptions to maritime trade.
Military Casualties and Uncertainty. A cross-strait invasion would be among the most complex military operations attempted since the Normandy Landings because of rough seas in the Taiwan Strait, limited suitable landing beaches, dense urban areas, mountainous interior terrain, and a well prepared and trained defending military armed with advanced western nations military technology. Even if China ultimately prevailed, casualties could be very high and victory could take much longer than expected.
Even if you “win”, military conquest does not automatically produce political control. Taiwan has developed a distinct political identity over several decades. The majority of the people on Taiwan do not primarily identify as “Chinese.” Taiwanese is an identity they see as distinct from the people on mainline China. So, even after a successful invasion, China could face civil resistance, political unrest, security challenges, and long-term occupation costs. The postwar burden could persist for years or decades.
Although the United States maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan, Beijing cannot assume that Washington would remain uninvolved. An invasion could potentially draw in not just the United States, but also Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Australia – possibly even Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The latter three control the Malacca Strait, a major choke point for oil, commodities, and most commercial shipping. What would invading Taiwan do to China’s international standing?
What is clear is that “One China” has been a long-standing goal of China/PRC and the regime of Xi Jinping has staked his legacy on reunification. In Chinese political discourse, reunification is often portrayed not merely as a policy objective but as a historical mission. Success could become a defining achievement comparable to other major milestones in modern Chinese history.
There is a lot at stake.
A Final Thought for this series… for the moment
The U.S. position is that it recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the government of China, maintains unofficial but robust relations with Taiwan, opposes any attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force, supports Taiwan’s self-defense, and seeks a peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences without formally endorsing either Taiwanese independence or Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.
Things are not “broke” so no need to fix it. Military action is certainly a quick way to break things:
One area in which China can not project the same power is over the Malacca Straits. 80% plus of China’s oil supply flows through these choke points as well as a huge amount of commercial shipping. It is China’s “Malacca Dilemma.”
Malacca is just one choke point. There are others.
The Galilee Mission
This Sunday is the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time in Liturgical Year A. The gospel is taken from Matthew 9:36 – 10:8 which falls in a section that is part of the Galilee ministry, but towards the end with a third cycle of Jesus’ mighty acts (9:18–34) which reveals his power over death and chronic illness, blindness, and speechlessness. The Galilee ministry ends with essentially a summary verse: “Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.” (Mt 9:35, a virtual repeat of Mt 4:23)
It is from this summary verse that we see the connection between discipleship and mission:
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (vv. 36-38)
The connection is made clear in that both endeavors, shepherding and harvest, need workers to bring the endeavor to its completion. God is the ultimate shepherd and harvest master, but he needs the cooperation of those who accept Jesus’ invitation to discipleship. The three sections on discipleship in chapters 8–9 emphasize the radical demands that it can involve, the fact that all kinds of people can be called to it and the radical newness that it represents, and its missionary dimension (9:35–38). The final verses of Matthew 9 serve as the prologue for the great Missionary Discourse (Mt 10:1-42).
The disciples’ mission is limited to the people of Israel (vv. 5b–6), and they are to avoid entering the cities of non-Jews and Samaritans (whose Judaism was suspect in the eyes of Judeans and Galileans). Only after the death and resurrection of Jesus does the mission to the latter groups begin (see 28:19). The disciples’ mission replicates and extends the mission of Jesus in preaching the coming of God’s kingdom and in healing the sick. As discipleship has been offered to them as a gift, so they are to offer it to others.
Wandering preachers representing various philosophies and religions were a common sight in the world of Jesus’ time. Jesus’ disciples are instructed not to be anxious about money or baggage or lodging, but rather to depend on the charity of their hearers (vv. 9–13). Their lack of concern for money, clothing, and lodging allows them to carry out the mission in a more single-minded way. It also bears witness to their trust in God’s care for them and to their conviction that what has been freely received should be freely given.
Image credit: Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain
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