Fireheart
"Sacred Heart of Jesus” by Haley Dessauer
Fireheart
By Nick Higgins
My name is Nicholas A. Higgins and I recently released my debut album "Fireheart"(2025). I offer you the title track "Fireheart" to pray with this Lent.
While I was living in the developing world on mission, i came home to the US for the holidays and began "navel gazing", focusing on my self and my own suffering. I tried to numb the pain with comfort and sins of the flesh... i was forgetting who i was. Then, i heard the news of my friends suffering back in Honduras and this song came to me on "full blast" in my heart as i was on my knees in tears in the chapel.
The verses mention a "rebellious heart" that is "cold as stone" in need of repentance. We have to give our hearts of stone to the Lord and let Him give us His "Fireheart", his Sacred Heart to "set the captive free". The climax of the song begins with the lyric "Oh my God, the dark is pressing in" followed by an instrumental with "darker notes" as the darkness and weight of our sin and struggle press in. Then, the "lighter notes" begin to "fight back" against the darkness, representing the light of Christ and His Grace, fighting for souls. Finally, with His Grace, I let out a cry with the verse "ignite my soul, so I can breathe again" and "bring me back to life" letting out a cry for my savior to come and rescue me, to save me.
To ignite the fire of the Lord in our hearts again this Lent, we have to repent, take up our cross, and unite our suffering to the Crucified Christ. We can't run from our crosses. If we try to avoid the pain or numb it, the anxiety only worsens, even taking our breath away. With our eyes fixed on the Lord, we have to acknowledge the reality of the pain, grieve it, and "offer it up" as a powerful prayer for ourselves and our world.
I am reminded of this reality again as our brothers and sisters suffer greatly overseas right now. We must offer up our own suffering for them and keep our eyes fixed on the Cross, trusting it leads to resurrection.
Nicholas A. Higgins is a bilingual musician and author. Find out more about him at www.nicholashiggins.com
Haley Dessauer is a sacred artists and homeschooling mom of 4 who enjoys creating faith based oil paintings and charcoal sketches within the small pockets of her day. You can find out more about Haley by visiting her website here.