June 27, 2014: Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Readings
- 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...
- 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."
- Homily: This feast is a celebration of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Two aspects to this love:
- Love is more about giving and receiving: love always communicates and is received by the one who's loved.
- Love is more about actions than words: love generates life and makes us grow.
We need to become like a child; God seeks a relationship like that between father and child. God gives us a caress and tells us: "Don't be afraid; I’m by your side holding your hand." Our Lord's tenderness gives us strength to be tender. Jesus says, ‘I am meek and humble of heart’; Even the Son of God lowers himself to receive his Father’s love.
God waits for us and gives us grace to enter into his love. When we arrive, he’s there. When we look for him, he's been looking for us. He always waits to receive us in his loving heart. He needs us to lower ourselves like children, and he needs our astonishment when we look for him and find him waiting.
Music: click to hear
- From Messiah/ Handel (gospel)
- He shall feed his flock, and Come unto him (another, w/ recitativ and duet)
- Bless the Lord, from Godspell/ Schwartz (movie version) (psalm)
- The Lord is kind and merciful/ Haas (psalm)
- The Lord is kind and merciful/El Señor es compasivo/ Haugen (psalm)
- Bless the Lord (psalm)
- God is love/ Gaye (2nd reading)
- God is love/ Kavanaugh (2nd reading)
- God is love/ Haas (2nd reading)
- His yoke is easy/ Evans (gospel)
- Come unto me, all who are weary/ Schutte (gospel)
- Come to me/ Norbet (gospel)
- Come to me/ Willcock (gospel)
- Come to me, from Everlasting Covenant/ Fabing (gospel)
- O Love, how deep, how broad, how high/ à Kempis, tr. Webb (lyrics)
- Eternal is his mercy/ Joncas
- Creighton: Pray to God from the heart, as a child.
- One Bread One Body: The Sacred Heart of Jesus proclaims a God who loves us so much. God's love is forgiving, merciful, unconditional, crucified, infinite, perfect, everlasting, Trinitarian, eucharistic, and mysterious. May we come to know and believe in God's love for us.
- Passionist: Today's feast is about God's love for everyone. May I be less self-centered and more God-centered.
- DailyScripture.net: Jesus' prayer tells us God is Father, Lord, Creator, Origin, Goodness, and Love. Pride 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.
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.
- Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion, promoted by St. Gertrude, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and St. John Eudes, is devotion to Jesus in his human nature, referring to the heart as the seat of the emotions.
If not Sacred Heart-trumped:
- St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop, fought Nestorian heresy
- St. John Southworth, priest, martyr
Apparel
- "Hand" tie pin: The Lord brought you out with his strong hand (1st reading)
- "Crowns" tie: He 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" suspenders: "Love one another"; "God is love..." (2nd reading); "I am meek and humble of heart" (gospel)
- White shirt: color of the day
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