Jacob Perikala csc
Readings: Hos 11: 1, 3-4, 8c-9; Eph 3: 8-12, 14-19; Jn 19: 31-37
Today the Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This feast is a sign that Jesus’s heart is burning with love for humanity. Jesus had love and compassion for humanity, which is why he was even ready to suffer and die. St. Marguerite Marie Alacoque had a mystical experience of the Heart of Jesus. In 1856, this feast became a universal celebration, thanks to St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The readings of the day also convey the same message: that God so loved humanity without any condition. The first reading says that God’s heart is full of love, compassion, and kindness.
In the second reading, St. Paul says that Christ will dwell in our hearts if only we have faith that God is love. The gospel passage is a replica of Jesus’ love and a demonstration of his love for all of us without any distinction. As we live in a world of hatred and dissension, we are called to spread the love of Christ to all people by means of positive actions.
Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, dedicated his society of priests to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, emphasizing the importance of this devotion in their spiritual lives. He said, “The primary purpose of our devotion to the Sacred Heart is to return love for love.”
True love, as exemplified by the Sacred Heart, is forgiving, compassionate, and selfless. It does not hold grudges or seek retribution but rather seeks to heal and uplift. By following the spirituality of the Sacred Heart, we are encouraged to cultivate the same qualities embodied by Jesus: compassion, humility, and selfless love.