The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062819.cfm)
reminds me of God’s
divine love for me.
Today
is the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It reminds me of Christ's intense
and divine love for me.
What
comes into mind when one sees an image of a heart?
Some,
probably the scientists and physicians, would associate heart with science and
remember one of the most important organ in the human body. Well, the
heart hand sign nowadays is similar to the actual heart. The finger heart, as
others would call it. So a lot would associate it with a heart.
Well,
that is true.
However,
I believe most of the people would associate heart with love. Not just the
actual heart, but to love. And I believe that is what Jesus, through the
readings today, wants to tell us
In the
first reading we see God our shepherd taking care of us, his flock. He
loves us even if we do not love him. He loves us even if we do not recognize
him. He does not let his anger get in the way of his love. Nanjan sya
kahit hindi natin alam, kahit hindi natin napapansin or pinapansin. His love is
unconditional, na kahit hindi mo I acknowledge, kahit hindi ka
magpasalamat, hindi sya titigil magmahal. He is willing to die for us.
To protect us. To guide us. To save us. And that is exactly what Jesus did for
us.
In
the second reading, we see the first reading concretized. Hindi na
concept yung pagmamahal ni God. Hindi na theoretical yung
unconditional love nya sa atin. We see that this love is true. While it is
easy to love our family, friends and those who love us, pero mahirap
mahalin ang kaaway. Mahirap mahalin ang sumasakit sayo. But this is
exactly what Christ did. He loved us while we were still sinners. He
died for us while we were still sinners. This is how he proved his
love for us. He loved us even if we sin and hurt him. He loved us even if we
were the cause of his pain. He did not wait for us to change and love him
before loving and saving us. He died for us while we were still sinners. While
we were still hurting him. He died to save us. That's how he loved us. That's
how he proved his love for us.
God
loves you even if you don't love him.
He
will not force you to love him. His sacred heart will love you no matter what.
However, hopefully, as we feel his love, we will be moved to love him as well.
Hopefully, as we experience his love and goodness, we will not only be thankful
and love him, but love others and make his love more alive. And as we are
reminded in the gospel, hopefully this love of God would make us repent, change
our ways, and go back to him.
Do
I know that God really loves me so much? Do I value God’s love for me? IS it
enough for God to tell me how special and worthy I am, or do I still look for
love and affirmation of other people to make me feel good about myself? How can
I love others and make them feel God’s love? Does God’s love make me repent and
go back to Him?
May
we always remember how much God loves us, and live to make that love alive in
the world.
Father
God,
Thank
you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for your reminder.
Thank you for loving me, even if I am unworthy. Lord, I am sorry for sinning
and hurting you. Sorry for not loving you enough. Pero Lord salamat, kasi kahit
pasaway ako, that does not stop you from loving me. Thank you for not giving up
on me. Thank you for loving me even if I hurt you. Thank you for dying for me.
Lord, help me value to your love for me and may I find my worth in your love
and not in others. May I always remember how divine your love for me
is. Today and every day, may I always remember how much you love me, and
may I be a vessel of your love to others. Use me to make your love more alive
in this world. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
June 28 2019
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lectionary: 172
Lectionary: 172
Reading
1 EZ 34:11-16
Thus
says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I will lead them out from among the peoples
and gather them from the foreign lands;
I will bring them back to their own country
and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel
in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.
In good pastures will I pasture them,
and on the mountain heights of Israel
shall be their grazing ground.
There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,
and in rich pastures shall they be pastured
on the mountains of Israel.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I will lead them out from among the peoples
and gather them from the foreign lands;
I will bring them back to their own country
and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel
in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.
In good pastures will I pasture them,
and on the mountain heights of Israel
shall be their grazing ground.
There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,
and in rich pastures shall they be pastured
on the mountains of Israel.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6.
R.(1) The Lord is my shepherd; there
is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Reading
2 ROM 5:5B-11
Brothers
and sisters:
The love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Alleluia MT 11:29AB
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,
and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,
and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Or JN
10:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord,
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord,
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK
15:3-7
Jesus
addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance."
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance."
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