THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS LOVES US - 06/16/23 (Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061623.cfm

Blessed Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! Today, we celebrate this great feast in accordance to our Lord Jesus who revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque His desire to dedicate the First Friday after the Feast of Corpus Christi in honor of His Heart. Our Lord Jesus loves us from the bottom of His Most Sacred Heart. But, do we truly believe in His love for us? And, do we respond with love to our Beloved? Despite the mercy and blessings that our Lord Jesus gives to us, especially through His Sacrifice on the Cross, what He receives from His own people are ingratitude, contempt, irreverence, sacrileges and coldness. Why does this happen? It may be because we don't fully recognize the infinite love that our God has for us. And, this may lead us to at least two negative effects. 

First, when people don't realize the love that the Sacred Heart of Jesus has for all of us, there is a tendency for us to fall to temptations, disobey God and commit sins. Our purpose in life is to love God who first loved us. But, if we do not see how grateful we should be for His love of us, it will also affect us in such a way that there will be a shift in how we view our purpose here in this world. Instead of glorifying God and being saved, the love for God is replaced by the love of worldly things. People may find their worth in adopting the false views promoted in the world such as abortion, lgbt+ ideology and others. The teachings of Christ in marriage is no longer respected. More people think that the reason why we're alive is simply to satisfy our urges pushing many, including young kids, to sin of lust. For some people, they may not see the negative effects of these sins, but what we should be aware of is how our Lord suffered because of it. When Jesus revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque the reality of sin, our Lord told her, "This is more grievous to Me than all that I endured in My Passion." And yet, because of Christ's for us, He desires that we may have devotion to His Most Sacred Heart so that His love may be imprinted in our hearts, our sinful inclinations may be destroyed, and for us to be snatched away from the control of Satan. Let's beg for God's forgiveness, and let's not be afraid to come to the sacrament of confession for us to receive the infinite mercy of Jesus from His Compassionate Heart that will make our hearts clean from all sins. 

Second, it's possible for us to be aware of following God's commandments and His will, but some of us may be discouraged, even to the point of despair. One of the reasons why this happens is when a person focused on his or her sins, trials, and weaknesses more than in the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may dwell on sadness when we think of our problems which we already conclude to have no solutions, the sufferings which we already think we have no strength to face, and on our sins which we may feel incapable of overcoming. But, with all of the problems that we have, our Lord wants us to place our trust in His Most Sacred Heart. All of our problems are only like a single drop of water in the burning furnace of His merciful love for us. Instead of focusing on ourselves, God is inviting us to just look on Him, and we will find rest in Jesus. This is why our Lord tells us, in the gospel reading for today, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." He is not just speaking to His disciples and to His audience. Rather, Jesus speaks to all of our hearts because He loves us. He knows our burdens, and He knows that we will only find rest in His Sacred Heart. Let's speak to Jesus and tell Him all that cause us distress, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. May we remember that it's in Adoration that St. Margaret Mary Alacoque first received visions from our Lord. Though we may not have such revelations, it's in the Adoration chapel (or in front of the Tabernacle or in Online Adoration through YouTube) where we can speak to Jesus face to face. May we also take the opportunity to go to the Mass this Friday if we have the time in order to honor the Most Sacred Heart and to make an act of reparation in response to the sins of humanity. Let's trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus because His love endures forever. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: 4 Mystical Messages to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

https://www.churchpop.com/visions-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-4-mystical-messages-to-st-margaret-mary-alacoque/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth