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!
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.