Antiphona ad Magnificat

From Luke 12:49, Christ declares: 'Ignem veni mittere in terram' (I came to cast fire on the earth). This 'fire' is variously interpreted as the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), the fire of divine love, or the purifying fire of judgment. Sacred Heart theology favors the second: the Heart of Christ burns with charity, and He desires to kindle this fire in human hearts. The question 'quid volo nisi ut accendatur?' (what do I will but that it be kindled?) expresses divine desire - God actively wants His love to spread. At First Vespers, as the feast begins, this antiphon establishes the feast's central theme: the Sacred Heart as furnace of charity seeking to inflame the world.