Antiphona 5

From Proverbs 23:26, this antiphon shifts from Christ's invitation to His request: 'Fili, praebe mihi cor tuum' (my son, give me thy heart). The Sacred Heart devotion is reciprocal - Christ offers His Heart, but asks for ours in return. The second clause, 'oculi tui custodiant vias meas' (let thy eyes keep my ways), indicates that heart-gift entails practical obedience: affection must issue in action. The Father-son address ('Fili') transforms the sapiential injunction into divine plea: God desires not merely our service but our love. At Lauds, this antiphon challenges the soul to begin the day with gift rather than petition - offering the heart before asking for anything.