Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Psalter: Proper / (White)
Responsorial Psalm: Is 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6 (3): You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
1st Reading: Hosea 11: 1, 3-4, 8c-9
I loved Israel when he was a child; out of Egypt I called my son.
Yet, it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet, little did they realize that it was I who cared for them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as one who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them.
How can I give you up, Ephraim? Can I abandon you like Admah or make you like Zeboiim? My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst; and I do not want to come to you in anger.
2nd Reading: Ephesians 3: 8-12, 14-19
This grace, was given to me, the least, among all the holy ones: to announce to the pagan nations, the immeasurable riches of Christ, and to make clear to all, how the mystery, hidden from the beginning, in God, the Creator of all things, is to be fulfilled.
Even the heavenly forces and powers will now discover, through the church, the wisdom of God in its manifold expression, as the plan is being fulfilled, which God designed from the beginning, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In him, we receive boldness and confidence to approach God.
And, now, I kneel in the presence of the Father, from whom, every family in heaven and on earth has received its name.
May he strengthen in you, the inner self, through his Spirit, according to the riches of his glory; may Christ dwell in your hearts, through faith; may you be rooted and founded in love.
All of this, so that you may understand, with all the holy ones, the width, the length, the height and the depth—in a word, that you may know the love of Christ, that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled, and reach the fullness of God.
Gospel: John 19: 31-37
As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so that the bodies might be taken away.
The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other man, who had been crucified with Jesus. When they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water.
The one who saw that, has testified to it, and his testimony is true; he knows he speaks the truth, so that you also might believe. All this happened to fulfill the words of Scripture: Not one of his bones shall be broken. Another text says: They shall look on him whom they have pierced.
REFLECTION:
“A heart like that of Jesus.”
Jesus’ commandment to love is inseparable from his person. His love is always overflowing even to the last drop of his blood. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus’ dead body hanging on the cross. This is after Jesus had handed down the spirit (cf. Jn. 19:30). After Jesus gave all up in order to create a new family in a new relationship with God, his love still overflows.
When a soldier pierced his side with a lance, blood and water immediately flowed out. In our journey of faith, we recognize this to symbolize God’s infinite love and mercy.
Whenever we contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are called to have a heart like that of Jesus – pure to worship God and courageous to respond to the challenge of our Christian duty to care for others.
Our world today is characterized by the lack of care for the other. The culture of hatred seems to escalate everywhere.
As followers of Jesus who aspire to have a heart like that of Jesus’ heart, it is part of our sacred duty to counteract the culture of hatred by promoting the culture of love.
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