DAILY HOMILIES #sacred heart

Besides simply coming to Him, Jesus wants us to take His yoke and learn from him. In a world where might is right and people would rather have their way with violence, Jesus wants us to know from his simplicity, gentleness and lowliness. As he said: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Peter wanted to fight on the night of His arrest, but Jesus said: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52).

“I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered... And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their land; and I will feed them on the mountains… I will feed them with good pasture, … they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture, they shall feed” (Ezekiel 34:12-14).

The heart of Jesus is like that of a mother towards her child; she is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the child. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God says: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15).

Learning from Jesus entails learning to forgive others. This is the yoke we must bear, but as Jesus says, it is easier than we think and is vital to finding rest for our souls. John tells us in today’s second reading, “Let us love one another (including our enemies), for he who does not love does not know God.” (1 John 4:7-8) If our hearts cannot love as Jesus loved, we have yet to learn from Him.

The heart of Jesus is first sacred because it is the heart of God. It is also a typical shepherd’s heart, a heart so full of love and concern for the good of humanity who are His Sheep.

In the midst of all these, we are given an opportunity today to reflect and ponder on the Sacred Heart of Jesus; the heart that is so full of love, so full of mercy, so quick to forgive, so selfless, so heavenly minded, so trustworthy and caring. A heart from which blood and water flowed when it was pierced by the soldiers on the cross; blood symbolizing sacrifice and water symbolizing washing, renewal, baptism, rebirth.