THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
First Reading - Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9
Second Reading - Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19
Gospel - John 19:31-37
In the first reading, we hear a poignant expression of God’s fatherly love for Israel. God speaks of Israel as His child, whom He called out of Egypt. He recalls how He taught Israel to walk, taking them in His arms, leading them with kindness and love. Despite Israel’s repeated infidelity, God’s compassion prevails. He expresses a deep emotional conflict, declaring, “My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger... For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you.”
This reading reveals a God who is deeply invested in His relationship with His people, showing both tenderness and mercy. It emphasizes God's unwavering commitment to His people despite their failings, illustrating a love that is patient and forgiving.
In the second reading, Paul shares his mission to preach the boundless riches of Christ and to make known the mystery of God’s plan, which had been hidden for ages. This mystery, now revealed, is that through the Church, God’s manifold wisdom is made known. Paul prays that the Ephesians might be strengthened through the Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He desires that they be rooted and grounded in love, able to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love, which surpasses knowledge, so that they may be filled with the fullness of God.
Paul’s prayer emphasizes the transformative power of Christ’s love. He encourages the Ephesians to internalize and experience this love deeply, allowing it to shape their entire being and relationship with God.
The Gospel reading narrates the piercing of Jesus' side after His crucifixion. The soldiers break the legs of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, but when they come to Jesus and see that He is already dead, they do not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierces His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flow out. John sees this as the fulfillment of Scripture: “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
This passage highlights the sacrificial nature of God’s love. The flow of blood and water from Jesus’ side symbolizes the outpouring of divine mercy and the birth of the Church. Jesus’ sacrificial death is the ultimate testament to God’s love for humanity, a love that goes to the very point of death to bring us salvation.
Dear friends, the readings today reveal the multifaceted and profound nature of God’s love for us. Hosea portrays God’s nurturing and forgiving love, a love that persistently seeks the well-being of His people despite their shortcomings. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks of the immeasurable and incomprehensible love of Christ, a love that strengthens and fills us with the fullness of God. Finally, the Gospel of John vividly depicts the sacrificial love of Jesus, who, even in death, continues to give of Himself for our redemption.
These passages call us to a deeper understanding and appreciation of God’s love. They encourage us to respond to this love by growing in our relationship with God and embodying His love in our lives. We are invited to experience and be rooted in this love, allowing it to transform us and guide our actions.
As we reflect on today’s readings, let us open our hearts to the vast and immeasurable love of God. May we be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to live out this love in our daily lives, loving God and one another with the same selfless and sacrificial love that Christ has shown us. Let us pray for the grace to fully comprehend and embrace the depth of God’s love, and to be instruments of this divine love in a world that so desperately needs it. Amen.
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