The Sacred Heart of Jesus

"It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers." Dt 7:7

Although the feast of the Sacred Heart is less than two centuries old, the love we receive from the heart of God has existed from the beginning. We hear of it so loudly and plainly in the book of Deuteronomy when Adonai tells the Jews that he did not choose them as his own because of their size or military power, but because he could never renege on his promise to be faithful to them forever.

In Jesus, we celebrate the new Covenant that God makes with us. Wanting to complete and fulfill the promise he made to the Jews, he sent us his son Jesus as an incarnate word to dwell among us and save us because God's heart and God's love are limitless. The heart of Jesus, furthermore, completely united to his Father's, is big enough and generous enough to carry us all home.

The feast of the Sacred Heart is an intensely human and fleshy celebration. Because the heart is the symbol of love and the source of our ongoing life, we kneel before the Lord and ask him to make our hearts as generous and giving as his.

Today, open you heart to someone who has hurt you.

Have you ever experienced someone giving their heart to you without limit?

More than Words

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." Mt 7:21

Words, after all, are just words. All of us have been promised something by a friend, family member or spouse and been bitterly disappointed. Likewise, we have forgotten or neglected promises we made to others, and though we meant the words when we spoke them, something or someone else got in the way of our keeping our promise.Jesus is hard in this regard. Words freely given must be more than something we casually offer to others and then promptly ignore. 

Unfortunately, the leaders of the Jews and his own disciples were guilty of this fault, and while Jesus promises everyone a second chance, we need to take his offer of reconciliation and live it, and this is sometimes very difficult. We have only to remember the awful response of Jesus' friends when he asks them to pray for him in the hour of his suffering. Not only do they fall asleep in the garden of Gethsemane, they are nowhere to be found as he hangs on a cross for their sake and ours. 

Today, take a moment to review the promises you have made and ask for the courage to renew them in faith.

What was it like for you to be discarded by good friend or spouse?

The Fruits of our Life

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” Mt 7: 19-20

Every person has faults, makes mistakes and loses focus. To do anything else would not be human, but we must never measure our life only by our failures; we must also celebrate its fruits. Jesus is clear about this, and though we sometimes are tempted to dismiss the good we have done, we need to listen to his guidance.

In 12 step spirituality, like Alcoholics Anonymous, program people are encouraged to work through the twelve steps and make a searching and fearless inventory of themselves (4th step). For those who do this with a sponsor, it is also important not just to acknowledge one's faults but to record one's successes as well. For most addicts it is easier to list their faults than to name their strengths, and I often think this is true for all of us. Looking at ourselves with the eyes of those who have always loved us despite our weaknesses can be a startling exercise and revelation. 

It is very clear in the scriptures that God is always willing to look past our sins and focus on our gifts, and this is true throughout the Bible. Very few people would forgive David his lust for Bathesheba and his willingness to put her husband Uriah in a position where he would surely be killed. But God does. Even more remarkable is the story of the forgiving father who embraces his younger son who has squandered his inheritance. God wants us to succeed and be reborn.

Today, accept the good God has done through you.

When was the last time you took the opportunity to praise someone for their good qualities?

The Birth of St John the Baptist

"John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’"

Knowing who we are and what our roles are as disciples is an essential element of our Gospel vocation. Like John the Baptist, we know we are not the Messiah and that our role is not to control others or the flow of the Good News. Rather, we are followers of the Risen Christ who take every opportunity to live in a such a way that allows others to know the God who has entered and transformed our lives. 

John the Baptist is always simple and clear, and in this he becomes our model. John's first role was to preach repentance. John knew the Jewish community hds lost its way. Somehow they had forgotten the purpose of the law and the message of the prophets. Because the leaders wanted only to preserve their power, they ignored John and his radical call to repentance so that when John pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, rather than listen, they ridiculed him.

The lesson for us is clear. No matter who speaks the truth or how different they might seem from our perspective, we need to listen and if necessary change for the sake of the Gospel. 

Today, pray to know your unique role as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Who do you most admire for their humility in accepting their role in proclaiming the Gospel?