Today we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Christian iconography depicts the combined heart and cross as the perfect symbol of love. Jesus’ love for us sent Him to cross, to be pierced for our sins (Jn. 19:34). By His wounds we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). He who taught us to love the Lord with all our heart (Lk. 10:27) proves the sincerity of His love by offering His heart and body on the altar of the cross. Authentic love desires life and growth of the other.

We cannot be touched by genuine sacrificial love and not feel the impulse to respond. When love caresses us, it matters not the state of lives, because this Love looks beyond our failings and embraces us, empowering us to become the very Source of that which we feel.

To love the Lord with all our heart (Lk. 10:27) is the beginning of a journey to not only follow Him, but also to become more like Him. What is the true state of my heart as I ponder His sacred heart that loves me beyond reason or logic?

Lord Jesus, as I thank You for loving me unreservedly, may Your grace help me to love You without limits. Amen.

Blessings, Fr. Howie

READINGS

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/060818.cfm