Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
John 15:4
There’s that saying, “home is where you are.” And then there’s the other one, “I’m at home when I’m with you.” And I truly believe them. We find comfort in people. The homes we build are beautiful, but the relationships that grow in them are eternal.
A house is typically understood to be a place where someone dwells. A home, on the other hand, though coupled with this, also encompasses a lot more love. “Welcome to my home!” is much more inviting than saying, “welcome to my house.”
Home. For many, home is a place where love is present and grows. And just like with Christ, in Whom we live and find our rest, we do that in our home, too.
The heart is the life of the body. It’s where blood flows in and out. If it’s beating, you’re alive. The heart is central in love stories, literature, and in our faith. Christ’s own heart is displayed in paintings and statues, and we as Catholics have a devotion to His heart (the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus). This devotion is where we see God’s eternal and limitless love for mankind. We connect the heart, and especially His own heart, to love.
His heart, the place I long to be united with most in this life, and eventually in Heaven for all eternity (hence the blog name), is where I build my home. I want to dwell in His heart; I want to dwell in His love. His heart – His limitless, free, and eternal love – is my home.
We hear so often to allow Jesus into our heart. It’s the part of the famous bible verse (John 15:4, written above!) that says that Christ, too, shall remain in us. And as important as that is for us to remember, we must also remember that we, too, must abide – remain – in Him. We can’t have Him if He doesn’t have us. It’s a mutual relationship. If I live in Christ, and if He lives in me, then whenever I welcome people into my life, I am welcoming them into the heart of Christ: my home. When people are invited in, they come to know Christ through me.
There’s a verse in Proverbs (one of my all-time favorites) that reads:
With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.
Proverbs 4:23
I plan on writing more on this verse another day. But what’s important to know for my post today: when my heart and Christ’s heart are in union, I can pour Him out. His heart is my life source; His heart is my home, through which all love and life, joy and faithfulness grow.
If Christ is in your heart, remain in His heart – and make it home. Find your rest there. Find your peace there. Find your joy, hope, forgiveness, and purpose there. Let the love from His heart flow into yours.
