June 23, 2017

Jesus' Sacred Heart

June 23, 2017:  Sacred Heart of Jesus

See about a dozen connections with today?
Legend below
Listen
From Messiah/ Handel (gospel)
    Also for gospel
For Psalm 103
For 2nd reading

And more...
Pope Francis homily:  Make yourself small
God chose us, mixed himself up with us, and gave us his son, for our love.  Moses says God chose us to be his own.  In the Heart of Jesus God gave us grace to celebrate the mystery of our salvation, of his love for us, our faith.  We didn't choose God; God made himself “our prisoner”:  he attached, strongly yoked, himself to our life; he can't detach himself.  We were chosen for love; it's our identity.  God chose you, called you, and joined himself to you. If we don't believe this, we don’t understand Christ's message.
Moses said the Lord chose the Israel because it was “the smallest of nations.”  The Lord was enamored of our smallness and so chose us.  He chooses and is revealed to the small.  "You revealed to little ones things hidden from the wise and learned."  To understand something of the mystery of Jesus, lower yourself.  Be mindful of being nothing.  He not only chooses and reveals himself to little ones; he calls them:  "Come to me,... and I'll give you rest."  You small ones, because of suffering or fatigue,... he chooses, reveals himself to, and calls you.  His heart is open to the great too, but they don't recognize his voice; they can't hear it because they're full of themselves.  To hear the Lord's voice of the Lord, you must make yourself little.
The Heart of Christ is the heart of revelation, the heart of our faith, because he made himself small; he chose the way of humbling himself, emptying himself, even to death on the Cross.  He chose smallness to manifest God's glory.   From the Body of Christ transfixed by the soldier’s lance, blood and water flowed out.  Today we celebrate the mystery of Christ, a heart that loves, chooses, is faithful, is joined to us, is revealed to little ones, calls the little ones, and makes itself little.
Jesus is the manifestation of God, the glory of God, faithful in choosing, making himself little, emptying himself. We can be so much, so virtuous, but with little or no faith; we must start from the mystery of Jesus Christ, who saved us with his faithfulness.  Lord, grant us the grace to celebrate your great acts, great works of salvation, great works of redemption.
  • Dt 7:6-11  Moses:  "You're sacred to the Lord; he chose you to be his own, setting his heart on you because he loved you.  The Lord keeps his covenant toward those who love him.  Keep the commandments...
    Animate
  • Ps 103:1-4, 6-7, 8, 10  "The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him."  Bless the Lord!  He pardons, heals, redeems, and crowns you.  He's kind, merciful, gracious, and slow to anger...
  • 1 Jn 4:7-16  Love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.  God revealed his love for us by sending his Son and giving the Spirit.  If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.  God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
  • Mt 11:25-30  "I give praise to you, Father, for though you've hidden things from the wise, you've revealed them to little ones....  Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I'll give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm humble of heart; you'll find rest.  My yoke is easy and my burden light."
Contemporary "Sacred Heart of Jesus" gallery, Whatley-heavy
Sacred Heart of Jesus 2010/ Whatley
Jesus:  Sacred Heart of Love 2013/ Whatley
The Sacred Heart 2016/ Whatley
Reflect
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Healer of the brokenhearted":  There's something extraordinary about the image of the Sacred Heart.  When the weary and burdened come to Jesus, they find rest; when the dying and bereaved come, they find assurance. When the broken and rejected come, they have hope.  Receive God's love more than ever: "Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, make my heart like yours." "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You."
  • Passionist:  All today's readings speak of God’s love.  Moses reminds the people they're chosen only because the Lord loved them.  Paul writes, “The love of God was revealed to us:  God sent his only Son... so that we might have life through him.”  Jesus invites, “Come to me,... and I'll give you rest....  I'm meek and humble of heart.  My yoke is easy, my burden light.” Jesus contrasts himself with the religious leaders who did burden people regarding living the Mosaic Law but didn't help them.  Jesus helps us.  The yoke Jesus wants us to take is not easy; love can be hard.  But if we accept his love for us, loving others can be "easy"; the more we know how much we're loved, the freer we are to love others, and the closer we get to God, which in turn enables us to love more easily.  Jesus’ heart is full of love for us; may it fill us and overflow into the world.
  • DailyScripture.net:  "Heavenly things revealed to infants":  Jesus' prayer tells us God is Father, Lord, Creator, good, loving, and caring.  Pride (inordinate self-love at others' expense and exaggerated estimation of oneself) can keep us from knowing and loving God; it makes the heart cold and closes the mind to God's wisdom.  Jesus contrasts it with childlike simplicity and humility.  The simple of heart recognize their dependence on God who can sustain them.  Humility inclines the heart to truth and grace; only the humble can receive God's wisdom and understand God's goodness.  Jesus is the perfect revelation of God because he has always been united with the Father; he alone can reveal God's mind, heart, and purpose for us.  We can know God personally because God wants to be united with us in love through his Son.  Jesus makes it possible for each of us to have a personal relationship with God as loving Father.  Jesus is the image of God; to see Jesus is to see what God is like:  perfect love, intense care, yearning over us.  
The yoke is an image of submission to God:  the yoke of the law, the commandments, the kingdom, God.  The Greek word for 'easy' can also mean 'well-fitting.'  Yokes were tailor-made to fit the oxen well.  The yoke of Christ's kingdom liberates us from guilt and sin.  Jesus invites us to his way of grace and freedom.
  • From Universalis, including Sacred Heart-trumped saints
    • The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:  Devotion to the Sacred Heart, encouraged by mystics and promoted by saints Gertrude, Margaret Mary Alacoque, John Eudes and others, is devotion to Jesus in his human nature, in particular referring to the heart as seat of emotions.
    • Etheldreda: austere religious, abbess of coed monastery; see also CNA
    • Thomas Garnet:  priest, martyr, forgave his betrayers:  “I'm a priest of the blessed Society of Jesus, though unworthy....  This is the happiest day I've seen.”
Dress legend
  • 'Scroll' pin:  "Observe my commandments, statutes, and decrees" (1st reading)
  • 'Sacred Heart of Jesus' pin:  self-explanatory :-); close-up
  • 'Hand' tie pin:  The Lord brought you out with his strong hand (1st reading); "my Father 'handed' all things over to me" (gospel)
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  The Lord crowns you with kindness and compassion (psalm)
  • 'Dove' pin:  We know we remain in him and he in us because he's given us his Spirit. (2nd reading)
  • 'Children' pin:  "You revealed hidden things to little ones" (gospel)
  • 'Hearts' tie:  The Lord set his heart on you and chose you (1st reading); "love one another"; "God is love..." (2nd reading); "I am meek and humble of heart" (gospel)
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