Cora Evans’ mystical visions recorded in The Refugee From Heaven contain scenes from the life of Jesus. Among the many avenues of spiritual fruit, these visions offer a peek inside the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  

Delight

“It is My delight to be with the children of men, and it is possible for Me to be in all men’s souls when they have made themselves ready for Me through the penitential life that John teaches.” (pg. 41)

Simon asked Jesus whether John the Baptist was the promised Elias (see Matthew 17:10-13). Jesus responded with more than what Simon asked. The creator of the universe cares so much for us that He delights in our company!  The word ‘delight’ could be substituted with joy, pleasure, happiness, or treasure. All words that characterize the love with which Jesus holds us. 

Our Lord also encourages penitential practices. These can never be done out of hatred of self or the body; their motivation has to spring from love. Penitential practices clear out room in the human heart in order to cede more space to Jesus. We do not give space to a stranger or even someone who may hurt us in the future. It is Our Lord Who delights in us that seeks our heart!  

I encourage everyone to take to prayer that first phrase of Our Lord, inserting their own name in it.  “It is My delight to be with [insert your name].”  

The Fire of His Love

“I love you so much that far rather would I die on the cross than sin for you.” (pg. 217)

As told in Refugee, Mary of Magdala was a famous Arabian dancer before following Jesus. She garnered and enjoyed the attention of all; men found her irresistible. When it was announced that Jesus would be visiting her family home in Bethany, Mary took it on as a personal challenge to try to allure this famous rabbi. The whole town was consumed with gossip about it. Upon meeting Jesus, however, Mary’s heart was pierced with His great love. All her robes, jewelry, and refinements seemed as chaff in the wind. Jesus would not even look at her, something that at once tore at her pride (as it was in public) and her heart. She longed for Him to look on her, with those eyes of incredible love. 

“Pretend! Pretend, Jesus, if nothing else pretend that You see me and hear me,” begged Mary (pg. 217). Yet Jesus remained with His eyes closed. “When you ask Me to pretend and act in your favor, you ask me to compliment hypocrisy,” Jesus responded. “Mary, I love you so much that far rather would I die on the cross than sin for you.”  

This stunned Mary out of her self-concern. What sort of love was this? A blameless one would suffer crucifixion on her behalf?  

Stop for a moment and stand in Mary’s sandals.  tand with Jesus as He refuses to indulge one of your sins, whether large or small. I have fallen into the trap of trying to explain away my sins to Jesus—seeking His acceptance before humbly confessing my sins. 

Hear Jesus say to us, just like He did to Mary: 

“I love you so much that far rather would I die on the cross than sin for you.”

As horrible as the crucifixion was, Jesus’ love for us burned even hotter. Even if our sins weighed as much as the earth, His love and mercy would be inadequately compared to the sun. The comparison breaks down only because the divine love is infinite. But inadequate images help sometimes: the sun is 109 times wider in diameter than the earth. As a whole, 1.3 million earths could fit inside the sun. However heavy the earth is in our estimation, it is merely a fraction of the sun. 

The Son that delights in us also burns with a fiery love. This flame of love that surrounds the Sacred Heart desires union with us so much that neither torture nor death prove an obstacle. 

Divine Indwelling

“I dwell within your heart and walk and talk with you by the hour. I shall never leave you.” (pg. 221)

When I see this quote, Jesus speaking to Our Lady after the Last Supper, I think of the end of the Great Commission. “And lo, I will be with you always, even to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The main focus of Jesus’ revelations to Cora Evans was His ever-present Mystical Humanity. That is, Jesus the God-Man dwelling within our hearts. With Our Lord’s delight in and burning love for us, dwelling in our hearts is a natural next step. What lover does not want to be with His beloved?  

Just before going to Gethsemane in Refugee, Jesus spoke with His Blessed Mother: “My joy is to have you capture My love, and understand My will, while you live on earth. I have come into the world hoping to enkindle many friends with the knowledge and wisdom of love.” (pg. 221) 

This is exactly the purpose of the indwelling of Christ: filling hearts around the globe with the love of God. Love seeks to dwell, to share. And true, self-giving love overflows; it does not stay confined to one person. Our Lord wants to find an open heart in us. It is then that His love can take hold and transform us.  

At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke further to the apostles: “When you eat and drink of this mystery that I will give, you will be putting on new, eternal life before death, and it will be I indwelling in you. It is I who will enkindle your clay nothingness into the Light of transfiguration.” (pg. 229) Jesus gives us the most incredible gift: incorporation into His Mystical Body.  By means of our union with Him, we share in His divine life. The words Jesus uses in this passage from Refugee compare clay (our current state) with the Light of transfiguration. As a refresher, the biblical event of the Transfiguration showed Jesus clothed in heavenly splendor (see Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36). What Peter, James, and John saw, awaits us too. Pause for a minute to consider that amazing gift!

What We Need, and Then Some

“Remember, I love you and will protect you and redeem you.” (pg. 303)

Jesus said this to His fellow prisoners in the dungeon, as Our Lord awaited his crucifixion. When Jesus had first been thrown in the dungeon, these same prisoners mocked Him. They hit Him. Even when Jesus tried to teach them, they demanded a miracle from Him. And Jesus did perform a miracle—though not one of healing. Nor did He break them all out of prison.  Rather, eighteen white roses appeared on the table. This caused a near-immediate conversion in the hearts of the prisoners.  Whereas the cure of a prisoner would have been impressive, the roses were a thunderbolt of impossible beauty in a damp, dark, miserable dungeon. Roses of that type did not grow in Israel.  

The prisoners begged Him to remain with them, asking if there was a way around the crucifixion. Jesus assured them that He would return to visit them after the resurrection. 

“Remember, I love you and will protect and redeem you.” 

From this episode, one of the main reminders is the omniscience of God. Even though the prisoners asked for a good thing—a miracle to heal one of them—Our Lord did not grant that request. Instead, Jesus’ miracle brought about the turning of their hearts from opposition to fervent devotion. Not only that, but the overwhelming beauty of the roses was far beyond anything the prisoners could have dreamt. Such is the love of Christ! First putting up with our rebellion, He does not just try to win our hearts. His aim is that we fall in love with Him.    

For this year’s feast of the Sacred Heart, go before the Lord and consider these parts of Cora’s visions. See Jesus’ love, how it delights, protects, redeems, and burns to be with us. Jesus sees you, loves you, and wants to be in your heart!