Pray for Love

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/061215.cfm) reminds me to pray to know and realize God’s love.

Today, we commemorate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we remember not his physical heart, but his love for all mankind.

In the gospel, we see part of Jesus’ suffering and death. He suffered for us, to save us from sin, out of love for God and for us. We may never understand this love.  This is similar to the story of Saint Augustine explaining about the Trinity – that explaining the Holy Trinity is like putting the ocean on a hole in sand. It simply cannot be done. It is impossible. And probably God’s love cannot be fully understood and explained by our limited human minds.

We need to pray to understand God’s love.

In the second reading, we see that we should pray to try to at least comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of God’s love. Yes, we all know God loves us and in one way or another we have felt this love in our lives. But we do not and probably cannot fully understand and comprehend this love – how great this love is.

The more we understand something, the more comfortable we become with it. And the more we understand God’s love, the more we feel it in our lives, the more we will love God. The more we will give back to God, not because he asks for it, but simply because we want to give back to him who have loved us in ways greater than we could ever imagine or understand.

May we pray for guidance and strength, to know and understand more God’s love in our lives. And may we love God more in return.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to experience your love. Thank you for loving me so much, even if I cannot understand it. Lord, sorry for the times I take your love for granted. Sorry for the times I sin and ignore your great love for me. sorry for loving myself more than I love you. Lord, I pray for wisdom and strength. I ask that you slowly reveal to me how much you love me, and may this in turn make me love you more, and love others more. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

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June 12, 2015

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lectionary: 171

Reading 1 Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9

Thus says the LORD:

When Israel was a child I loved him,

out of Egypt I called my son.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,

who took them in my arms;

I drew them with human cords,

with bands of love;

I fostered them like one

who raises an infant to his cheeks;

Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,

they did not know that I was their healer.

My heart is overwhelmed,

my pity is stirred.

I will not give vent to my blazing anger,

I will not destroy Ephraim again;

For I am God and not a man,

the Holy One present among you;

I will not let the flames consume you.

Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 2 Eph 3:8-12, 14-19

Brothers and sisters:

To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,

to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,

and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery

hidden from ages past in God who created all things,

so that the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known through the church

to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.

This was according to the eternal purpose

that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whom we have boldness of speech

and confidence of access through faith in him.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory

to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,

and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, rooted and grounded in love,

may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Alleluia 1 Jn 4:10b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God first loved us

and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 19:31-37

Since it was preparation day,

in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,

for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,

the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken

and they be taken down.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first

and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,

they did not break his legs,

but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,

and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;

he knows that he is speaking the truth,

so that you also may come to believe.

For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:

Not a bone of it will be broken.

And again another passage says:

They will look upon him whom they have pierced.