Daily reflection _ divine love


DIVINE LOVE
God loved us even when we were his enemies by sin, how much more does he love us now that we have been justified by Christ our Lord!
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
The celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is centered on the physical heart of Jesus as the obvious symbol of Christ's love for us. And Christ's love for us, of course, is an aspect of the love of God for all his people. The First Reading from the Prophet Hosea is an obvious one for this feast "My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. St. Paul's in his Letter to the Ephesians implored God that we might know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.
We celebrate in this feast the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for each and every one, but especially those who are hopeless and even lacking in belief in Him. The infinite love and mercy of God is shown in many different ways and symbols. First of all, his mercy to us is shown in the fact of the Incarnation. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son who became one of us. Jesus expressed his love when he used the analogy that he was the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Recently, the Sunday after Easter has been designated as Divine Mercy Sunday. This commemorates the lavish and undeserved love of God. In Romans (5), St. Paul expresses this well. God loved us even when we were his enemies by sin, how much more does he love us now that we have been justified by Christ our Lord! The symbols of this love vary from age to age. The Medieval Period used the symbol of the crucifix. In the Sixteenth Century, the symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus began to be used. Whatever the symbol, let us always remember the reality that God loves us from all eternity.
My Father gave me a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it belonged to my Grandma. My dad gave it to me when she died. It was a great gift and meant a lot to me. Looking at Jesus' heart pierced, it gave hope and trust in Him. I look at the picture often as part of my prayer and reflection time and have for many years.
In today's Gospel Acclamation: the words of Jesus suggest some of the qualities that the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus requires of us. "Come to me," the Lord says, "and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart." A true devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will show itself in gentleness and humility. Jesus prayer also contains a warning that the thing called pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Certainly intellectual pride, coldness of heart, and stubbornness of will shut out God and his kingdom. Pride is the root of all vice and the strongest influence propelling us to sin. It also closes the heart and mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives. What is pride? It is the inordinate love of oneself at the expense of others and the estimation of one's own learning and importance.
Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like "babes" in the sense that they see purely without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in the one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They ultimately seek one thing - the "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root or every sin and evil, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. We need to submit to God's word with simple trust and humility. Once we have done that then we show our gratitude and appreciation to God by sharing his loving heart in a humble way with others.
In Jesus we see the perfect love of God - a God who cares intensely. Now we need to share with others the love that comes from his Sacred Heart.