My true-love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for the other given:
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss;
There never was a bargain better driven.
His heart in me keeps me and him in one;
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides:
He loves my heart, for once it was his own;
I cherish his because in me it bides.
His heart his wound received from my sight;
My heart was wounded with his wounded heart;
For as from me on him his hurt did light,
So still, methought, in me his hurt did smart:
Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss,
My true love hath my heart and I have his.
By Sir Philip Sidney.
Sidney was a courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He died fighting in the religious wars on the Protestant side. I’ve always thought this sonnet connects especially strongly with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it’s a reminder that true Protestants and Catholics are both devoted to loving the Lord.
Yes, we have our differences and sometimes they are fervent and violent, but in the present day and age we should realize that it is the devotion and love of Christ that draws us and as it draws us towards him it draws us closer to one another, and as we come to know the love and mercy from his tender heart may we extend that love and mercy to others.
If you find such sentiments repellent or, when you read this your gorge immediately rises and you feel you must correct me, may the Lord have mercy for you have not yet been drawn into the Sacred Heart of Jesus.