It is 19th June 2020. We celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. A devotion that brought out the love, compassion and healing rays of God towards the entire humanity. It is a day of prayer for the sanctification of Priests.
The readings are from Deuteronomy 7:6-11; the second reading is from 1John 4:7-16; and the Gospel is from Matthew 11:25-30.
Heart is the birth and death place of life and love. Even though our bodies are constantly invaded by selfishness and sinfulness, our hearts are consecrated by the love of God. When heart is contaminated, nothing else is left to be corrupted. Most of us give importance to the way we look than we are and ought to be. No one has the power to pollute and poison our heart so maliciously than our thoughts. Our hearts are for harboring the others with love in a whirl wind of pain and pestilence. When heart loses the capacity of loving the other, it remains as a selfish storage of sentiments and seduction. Heart is the only organ that can heal and heap the wounds in us and in others. Whatever is going on in our heart is reflected and mirrored the way we perceive the others and the challenging issues around.
What an honor and privilege to be chosen and loved by God? God chooses and loves each one of us without any merits of our own. Sheer faithfulness of the Lord that has made us experience unwavering and never-diminishing The first reading describes the intention and desire of God’s heart “”You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own. The LORD set his heart on you and chose you; it was because the LORD loved you.” (Deut.7:6,7).
The responsorial Psalm praises, “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.” (Ps.103:17).
The second reading inculcates that God is not afraid of taking initiative in loving us even when God knew we would dump God. God revealed himself in Jesus and allowed us to experience the depth of God’s love through Him. Loving others is the proof of God’s love in us. Without love, we cannot know, experience, encounter, and be called children of God. Life and truth are shared as a free-gift through Jesus. Our authentic, merciful, and honest love for one another is the proof that we are filled with God’s love. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.” (1 Jn.4:11). Love is not a supposition or imposition rather it is the exposition of our vulnerability to be hurt yet daringly embracing the others without inflicting pain.
In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to experience God’s love in His Most Sacred Heart wounded by us. “Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Many of us are broken and bruised by the wounds of the on-going pandemic. Finding rest and rejuvenation for all of us is still possible in the Heart of the Loving Shepherd Jesus. Let our charitable and merciful acts spread the goodness to all who are in need.
What are the things we believe and do are preventing to love the others? May the Lord help us to love others without expecting anything. May you have a good day. God bless you.