Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lectionary:
171
Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out ofEgypt
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.
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of
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 ofZion
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meditation: "They shall look on him whom they have pierced"
Do you know the
heart of Jesus – a heart that was pierced for your sake and mine? Of all the
Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death, John mentions that the soldiers pierced his
heart with a lance. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10:
“when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him”. The
heart of Jesus was pierced for our sake. He willingly went to the cross and
laid down his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we want to
understand the depth and breadth of God’s love for each of us, then look upon the
heart that was pierced for you and for me. That is the reason Jesus went to the
cross, to redeem us from slavery to sin and death.True love does not count the cost, but gives everything for the beloved. Jesus withheld nothing, but gave everything he had for our sake. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) says that “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.” In the cross of Christ we see the love of God broken and pierced for our sake. Jesus reigns triumphant at the right hand of the Father. He has risen in glory for our sake and he intercedes for us in heaven. He stands before the throne of heaven with his marks of victory – his pierced side, hands, and feet. Who can fathom the love of God? For all eternity we will gaze upon him who was crucified and who rose for our sake. The Lord Jesus calls us to lay down our lives in sacrificial love for one another. Only a broken and contrite heart can fathom the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Do you love as Jesus loves, with a broken heart that yearns for all to know the love and mercy of God?
“Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds. Break my heart with the things that break your heart that I may love generously as you love.”
(Don Schwager)
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Look at the Heart That Has Loved So |
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Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
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John 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.
Introductory Prayer: Come Holy Spirit and fill my heart with love for you.
Gentle Guest of My Soul, enlighten me so that I may truly understand Christ’s
love for me. I am not worthy of this love, but I do implore your mercy.
Petition: God, grant me to better exercise charity towards those
around me.
1. Behold the Heart
That Loved Until Death: The crucifixion of
Christ is the event that “expresses with stunning clarity how Jesus is a
symbol of contradiction. In fact, people line up on two sides: those who adore
him and those who mock him.… It is the most sublime school of love: in
sorrow, Jesus forgives those who have made him suffer, responding to evil
with good” (Pope John Paul II, March 12, 1989). Today we contemplate that
heart which loves us infinitely –– not only then but also now. Lord, thank
you for your love. Teach me to reciprocate that love.
2. Look upon the
Pierced One: As Christ was dying,
the soldiers and rulers of the people mocked him as they were disappointed in
their expectations. The people, on the other hand, looked on. Of the
criminals crucified with him, one mocked him while the other one entrusted
himself totally to his love and mercy. Each of us who looks upon the Pierced
One looks upon him in a different way, but there will always be a choice to
make: love him or mock him. Lord, I love you; help me grow in love for you.
3. Christ Raises the
Bar: Just as Jesus surrenders himself to
the Father’s will, so too, we must surrender ourselves if we want to show our
gratitude. After contemplating Christ’s love, we cannot go on loving the same
as before. Every day we need to grow in love and appreciation for what Christ
has done for me. We were like birds caught in a trap, and now we are free.
Freely we need to communicate this love to all mankind through prayer, words
and our example. Ask Christ for the decision to do whatever it takes to
communicate his love to those around you.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, on this feast of your Sacred Heart, I see your
love for all mankind. Grant me the grace to love a little more like you since
you once told me, “love one another as I have loved you” (Cf. John 15:12).
Without your grace I cannot do this. I beg you for the grace of growing in
love.
Resolution: I will be patient with the members of my family.
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(Signum Christi)
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
It is
impossible to fathom God’s love for us.Paul had some idea of God’s love, as his prayer to the Ephesians expresses the reality of being filled with such love. He wanted them to have an awareness of the depth of it. This scripture is my favourite and I often reflect on it. Even so, it is virtually impossible for me to describe the feelings that are provoked in me whilst reading the words of the prayer. It does touch the heart strings!
Today, begin at Ephesians 3:14 and read it slowly, but with a difference, replacing the pronouns to make it more personal. For example, ‘that he may grant me and ‘that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith’. I also pray this scripture for my children on a regular basis. Try it, God’s love won’t fail.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
HUMAN LIFE AS A SPIDER WEB
The other day I read of human life described as a spider web:
'If you touch it anywhere, you set the whole thing trembling - The
life that I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn
another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place and
time my touch will be felt. Our lives are linked. No man, no woman, is an
island.'
The gift of friendship with others is contagious.
From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr
Christopher Gleeson SJ [David Lovell Publishing 2003]
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
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Leave it
Behind
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This is conversion in the gospel: leaving
everything behind for the sake of the kingdom—that is, Jesus himself—leaving
everything behind to possess the One who is Everything!
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June 15
Servant of GodOrlando
Servant of God
An unexpected encounter with St.
Francis of Assisi
On the
day a festival was being organized for a huge throng, St. Francis, already well
known for his sanctity, delivered a dramatic address on the dangers of worldly
pleasures. One of the guests, Orlando (also known as Roland) was so taken by
Francis' words that he sought out the saint for advice on how best to lead a
life pleasing to God.A short time later, Francis visited Count Orlando in his own palace, located at the foot of Mount La Verna. Francis spoke again of the dangers of a life of wealth and comfort. The words prompted
In return for his generous gift,
Comment:
Even Francis, Lady Poverty’s favorite knight, needed a suitable place to pray. Captivated by Francis’ preaching,Orlando Orlando Orlando
Even Francis, Lady Poverty’s favorite knight, needed a suitable place to pray. Captivated by Francis’ preaching,
St.
Germaine Cousin
St. Germaine Cousin
1579 - 1601
When Hortense
decided to marry Laurent Cousin in Pibrac ,
France
Laurent, who had a weak character, pretended not to
notice that Germaine had been given so little food that she had learned to
crawl in order to get to the dog's dish. He wasn't there to protect her when
Hortense left Germaine in a drain while she cared for chickens -- and forgot
her for three days. He didn't even interfere when Hortense poured boiling water
on Germaine's legs.
With this kind of
treatment, it's no surprise that Germaine became even more ill. She came down
with a disease known as scrofula, a kind of tuberculosis that causes the neck
glands to swell up. Sores began to appear on her neck and in her weakened condition to
fell prey to every disease that came along. Instead of awakening Hortense's
pity this only made her despise Germaine more for being even uglier in her
eyes.
Germaine found no
sympathy and love with her siblings. Watching their mother's treatment of their
half-sister, they learned how to despise and torment her, putting ashes in
her food and pitch in her clothes. Their mother found this very entertaining.
Hortense did finally
get concerned about Germaine's sickness -- because she was afraid her own children would catch it. So she made Germaine
sleep out in the barn. The only warmth Germaine had on frozen winter nights was
the woolly sheep who slept there too. The only food she had were the scraps
Hortense might remember to throw her way.
The abuse of
Germaine tears at our hearts and causes us to cry for pity and justice. But it
was Germaine's response to that abuse and her cruel life that
wins our awe and veneration.
Germaine was soon
entrusted with the sheep. No one expected her to have any use for education so
she spent long days in the field tending the sheep. Instead of being lonely,
she found a friend in God. She didn't know any theology and only the basics of
the faith that
she learned the catechism. But she had arosary made of knots in string and her very
simple prayers: "Dear God, please don't let me be too hungry or too
thirsty. Help me to please my mother. And help me to please you." Out of
that simple faith, grew a profound holiness and
a deep trust of God.
And she had the most
important prayer of all -- the Mass. Mass.
No matter how
little Germaine had, she shared it with others. Her scraps of food were given
to beggars. Her life of prayer became stories of God that
entranced the village children.
But most startling
of all was the forgiveness to showed to the woman who
deserved her hatred.
Hortense, furious at
the stories about her daughter's holiness, waited only to catch her doing
wrong. One cold winter day, after throwing out a beggar that Germaine had let
sleep in the barn, Hortense caught Germaine carrying something bundled up in
her apron. Certain that Germaine had stolen bread to feed the beggar, she began
to chase and scream at the child. As she began to beat her, Germaine opened her
apron. Out tumbled what she had been hiding in her apron -- bright beautiful
flowers that no one had expected to see for months. Where had she found the
vibrant blossoms in the middle of the ice and snow? There was only one answer
and Germaine gave it herself, when she handed a flower to her mother and said,
"Please accept this flower, Mother. God sends
it to you in sign of his forgiveness."
As the whole village
began to talk about this holy child, even Hortense began to soften her feelings
toward her. She even invited Germaine back to the house but Germaine had become
used to her straw bed and continued to sleep in it. There she was found dead at
the age of 22, overcome by a life of
suffering.
With all the
evidence of her holiness, her life was
too simple and hidden to mean much beyond her tiny village -- until God brought
it too light again. When her body was exhumed forty years later, it was found
to be undecayed, what is known as incorruptible. As is often the case with
incorruptible bodies of saints,God chooses
not the outwardly beautiful to preserve but those that others despised as ugly
and weak. It's as if God is
saying in this miracle that
human ideas of beauty are not his. To him, no one was more beautiful than this
humble lonely young woman.
After her body was
found in this state, the villagers started to speak again of what she had been
like and what she had done. Soon miracles were attributed to her intercession and
the clamor for her canonization began.
In this way, the
most unlikely of saints became recognized by the Church. She didn't found a
religious order. She didn't reach a high Church post. She didn't write books or
teach at universities. She didn't go to foreign lands as a missionary or
convert thousands. What she did was live a life devoted
to God and
her neighbor no matter what
happened to her. And that is all God asks.
In Her Footsteps:
Do you make excuses not to help others because you have
so little yourself? Share something this week with those in need that may be
painful for you to give up.
Prayer:
Saint Germaine,
watch over those children who suffer abuse as you did. Help us
to give them the love and protection you only got from God. Give us the courage
to speak out against abuse when we know of it. Help us to forgive those who
abuse the way you did, without sacrificing the lives of the children who need help. Amen
Sacred Heart of
Jesus-Bonaventure
Sacred
Heart of Jesus,
Source
of Light and Life
St. Bonaventure
An excerpt from a work by St. Bonaventure (Opusculum 3, Lignum
vitae, 29-30. 47: Opera omnia 8, 79) which is used in the Roman Office of
Readings for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus celebrated each year
on the second Friday after the Feast of Pentecost. Here Bonaventure
reflects on the meaning of the blood and water flowing from the side of Christ
crucified, the living water of sacramental grace coming from the loving heart
of the Savior. His comments are in part a commentary on several lines of
Psalm 36, which is used in the office of the feast: "Your love, Lord,
reaches to heaven, your truth to the skies . . . In you is the source of life
and in your ligh we seee light."
Take thought now, redeemed man, and consider how great and worthy
is he who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life, but at
his passing heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split
asunder.
It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death on the cross, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They shall look on him whom they pierced’. The blood and water which poured out at that moment were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s heart as from a fountain, this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.
Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove ‘that nests in a hole in the cliff’, keeping watch at the entrance ‘like the sparrow that finds a home’. There like the turtledove hide your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the fountain, ‘draw water from the wells of your Savior; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise, dividing into four rivers’, inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making it fertile.
Run with eager desire to this source of life and light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you may be, and cry out to him with all the strength of your heart. “O indescribable beauty of the most high God and purest radiance of eternal light! Life that gives all life, light that is the source of every other light, preserving in everlasting splendor the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of your divinity from the dawn of time! Eternal and inaccessible fountain, clear and sweet stream flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom your depths nor survey your boundaries, none can measure your breadth, nothing can sully your purity. From you flows ‘the river which gladdens the city of
LECTIO: SACRED HEART OF JESUS (B)
Lectio:
Friday, June 15, 2012
A soldier pierces
Jesus’ heart
John 19:31-37
John 19:31-37
1. LECTIO
a) Opening prayer:
Lord Jesus, grant that
we may stand before your Word in a listening attitude. Help us to stay calm,
not to be superficial and distracted. If we meditate on your Word, then we
shall, certainly, experience an invasion of tenderness, compassion and love
that flows from your pierced heart on humanity. Grant that we may understand
the symbolism of the blood and water flowing from your heart. Grant that we too
may gather that blood and water so that we may share in your infinite passion
of love and suffering when you underwent every physical and moral suffering.
May our meditating on those symbols break our egoism, our self-centredness and
our indifference. May the water and blood mentioned in today’s Gospel calm our
anxieties and worries, take away our vainglory, purify our greediness, transform
our fears into hopes and our darkness into light. As we open ourselves to the
force of your Word, we say to you with all our heart and soul, “Jesus, you are
truly the revelation of love”.
b) Reading of the
Gospel:
31 It was the Day of
Preparation, and to avoid the bodies' remaining on the cross during the Sabbath
-- since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity -- the Jews asked Pilate
to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. 32 Consequently the soldiers
came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and
then of the other. 33 When they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead,
and so instead of breaking his legs 34 one of the soldiers pierced his side
with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. 35 This is the
evidence of one who saw it -- true evidence, and he knows that what he says is
true -- and he gives it so that you may believe as well. 36 Because all this
happened to fulfil the words of scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken;
37 and again, in another place scripture says: They will look to the one whom
they have pierced.
c) A moment of
silence:
Let the silence in
this meeting with the Word be truly a prayer: a conversation with God, a
listening to Him who reveals himself and calls you and invites you to be one
with Him.
2. MEDITATIO
a) A key to the
reading – content and division:
This passage of the
Gospel begins with a mention of the Pasch of the Jews and with a request to
Pilate (19,31). For the Evangelist such an event holds extraordinary
importance. The centre of the Gospel passage is the piercing of the side whence
flow blood and water. We should take note of the symbols in this passage: the blood
symbolises death and love to the end; the water whence life comes is the symbol
of love expressed and communicated. In the context of the Pasch, these symbols
point to the blood of the Lamb who conquers death, and the water, source that
purifies. These symbols seek to show that this love (the blood) saves by giving
its entire life (water-Spirit). That which the Evangelist witnessed, is the
basis of faith. The passage is organised thus: first the obligation of rest on
the festive day which leads to the request made of Pilate that the bodies be
taken down (19,31); there follows the scene on the cross when a soldier pierces
Jesus’ side (19,32-34); finally the witness of the Evangelist, based on the Law
and the Prophets (19,35-37).
b) The festive rest
and the request to Pilate (19,31):
The Jewish leaders,
because of the legal purity required by the Pasch now close at hand, and
worried that the execution of the death of Jesus might profane the Sabbath or
even the whole feast of the Pasch, «asked Pilate to have the legs broken and
the bodies taken away». They are not in the least aware that their Pasch has
been substituted by Jesus’ Pasch. The mention of the bodies is significant.
Mention is made not only of the body of Jesus, but also of the bodies of those
crucified with him, as if to express Jesus’ solidarity with those crucified
with him and with the whole of humanity.
Jesus’ body on the cross, that makes him one with humanity, is, for the Evangelist, God’s sanctuary (2,21). The bodies of those crucified could not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, since what was involved was the preparation for the most solemn feast in the Jewish tradition. Anyway, this feast will lose its traditional meaning and will be substituted by the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
«The Jews» put concrete requests before Pilate: that the legs of those crucified be broken so as to accelerate their death and thus avoid the problem that they pose at that particular time. None of these requests is carried out in the case of Jesus: the soldiers do not break his legs nor do they take him down from the cross.
Jesus’ body on the cross, that makes him one with humanity, is, for the Evangelist, God’s sanctuary (2,21). The bodies of those crucified could not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, since what was involved was the preparation for the most solemn feast in the Jewish tradition. Anyway, this feast will lose its traditional meaning and will be substituted by the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
«The Jews» put concrete requests before Pilate: that the legs of those crucified be broken so as to accelerate their death and thus avoid the problem that they pose at that particular time. None of these requests is carried out in the case of Jesus: the soldiers do not break his legs nor do they take him down from the cross.
c) The pierced side
(19,32-33):
The soldiers break the
legs of those with Jesus, but when they get to Jesus they see «he was already
dead, and so instead of breaking his legs…» It is significant that the soldiers
break the legs of those crucified with Jesus. They are still alive and now that
Jesus is dead, they too can die. It is as though Jesus, by dying before them,
through his death has opened the way for them to the Father and now they can
follow him. By stating that they did not break the legs of Jesus, the
Evangelist seems to be saying: No one can take life from Jesus, because he gave
his life of himself (10:17ff; 19:30). «One of the soldiers pierced his side with
a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water». The reader may be
surprised by the action of the soldier since Jesus was already dead. What need
was there to pierce him? It seems that hostility goes on even after death. The
piercing with the point of the lance wants to destroy him forever. This act of
hatred allows Jesus to give the kind of love that produces life. This fact is
extraordinarily important and contains great wealth of meaning. The blood that
flows from Jesus’ side symbolises his death, which he accepts so as to save
humanity; it is and expression of his glory and of his love to the end (1:14;
13:1); it is the gift of the shepherd for his sheep (10:11); it is the love of
the friend who gives his life for his friends (15: 13). This supreme proof of
love, which does not withdraw in the face of the suffering of death on a cross,
is an object of contemplation for us on this solemnity of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. From his pierced side comes love, which love is his and at the same time
inseparably that of the Father. The water that comes out also represents the
Spirit, source of life. The blood and water witness to his love proclaimed and
communicated. The allusion to the symbols of water and wine at the wedding
feast of Cana is evident: the hour has come
for Jesus to give the wine of his love. Now the definitive wedding has taken
place. The law of supreme and sincere love (1:17) shown on the cross, echoed in
his commandment, «love one another as I have loved you” (13:34), is poured out
into the hearts of believers by the Spirit. The divine plan of love is
fulfilled in Jesus in the outpouring of blood and water (19:28-30); now it is
the time for men and women to realise its fulfilment. In this fulfilment, we
shall be aided by the Spirit that flows from the pierced side of Jesus,
transforming us into a new humanity, capable of loving and of becoming children
of God (1: 12).
d) The witness of the
Evangelist and of Scripture:
With the scene of
Jesus pierced on the cross, the Evangelist gives proof of a great and solemn
witness so that all who listen to him might come to believe. This final and
supreme manifestation will form the foundation of the faith of future
disciples. We should note that only here does the Evangelist address his
readers with the plural “you”: «so that you may believe as well”.
Jesus’ pierced side on the cross is the great sign towards which all the persons mentioned throughout the Gospels converge, but above all, all the readers of today, to whom it is given to understand the full meaning of Jesus’ existence. The passage concerning the pierced side is, for the Evangelist, the key that explains the giving of oneself for the salvation of humanity. Even if such a sign may seem paradoxical to the modern reader, in God’s plan it becomes the manifestation of his saving power. Could not God have chosen another sign of his saving love? Why did he choose the sign of a man sentenced to death and death on a cross? What image of God do we see in this sign? God manifests himself solely in generous love capable of giving life.
Jesus’ pierced side on the cross is the great sign towards which all the persons mentioned throughout the Gospels converge, but above all, all the readers of today, to whom it is given to understand the full meaning of Jesus’ existence. The passage concerning the pierced side is, for the Evangelist, the key that explains the giving of oneself for the salvation of humanity. Even if such a sign may seem paradoxical to the modern reader, in God’s plan it becomes the manifestation of his saving power. Could not God have chosen another sign of his saving love? Why did he choose the sign of a man sentenced to death and death on a cross? What image of God do we see in this sign? God manifests himself solely in generous love capable of giving life.
e) A few questions:
- What place does the
contemplation of the pierced heart of Jesus hold in your personal prayer? Do
you allow yourself to be involved in the symbols of blood and water that
express the mysterious gift of God to you and to humanity?
- Have you ever thought that at the time of greatest resistance to God and the death of Jesus, there begins the moment of grace, mercy, the gift of the Spirit and of the life of faith?
- How do you see your weaknesses? Do you see them as means of mercy, especially when you are ready to admit them? Do you not know that they may be instruments that God uses to evangelise your heart, to save you, to forgive you, and to give you new life to love in love?
- People who draw away from God, difficult young people, violence, hostility … often give rise within us of moans, discomfort, bitterness and scepticism. Have you ever thought that God may be saving people in their sins and beginning with their sins? Have you ever thought that so many men, women, young people who are in prison or in communities for drug addicts experience in those who help them a meeting with the Lord and thus feel loved and saved by him?
- Have you ever thought that at the time of greatest resistance to God and the death of Jesus, there begins the moment of grace, mercy, the gift of the Spirit and of the life of faith?
- How do you see your weaknesses? Do you see them as means of mercy, especially when you are ready to admit them? Do you not know that they may be instruments that God uses to evangelise your heart, to save you, to forgive you, and to give you new life to love in love?
- People who draw away from God, difficult young people, violence, hostility … often give rise within us of moans, discomfort, bitterness and scepticism. Have you ever thought that God may be saving people in their sins and beginning with their sins? Have you ever thought that so many men, women, young people who are in prison or in communities for drug addicts experience in those who help them a meeting with the Lord and thus feel loved and saved by him?
3. ORATIO
a) Isaiah 12:2; 4cd;
5-6
Look, he is the God of
my salvation:
I shall have faith and not be afraid,
for Yahweh is my strength and my song,
he has been my salvation.'
I shall have faith and not be afraid,
for Yahweh is my strength and my song,
he has been my salvation.'
'Praise Yahweh,
invoke his name.
Proclaim his deeds to the people,
declare his name sublime.
invoke his name.
Proclaim his deeds to the people,
declare his name sublime.
Sing of Yahweh,
for his works are majestic,
make them known throughout the world.
Cry and shout for joy,
you who live inZion
For the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.'
for his works are majestic,
make them known throughout the world.
Cry and shout for joy,
you who live in
For the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.'
b) Closing prayer:
At the end of this
moment of listening to the Word, let us use the help of prayers that come from
a loving and wise study of the Bible. Prayer begins with listening and leads to
action «with a pure heart and right conscience». The title of the prayer is
«That I may love, Lord!»: Is it an empty dream to imagine a united humanity,
where all are glad to live with others and feel useful, understood and loved?
How often people, yesterday, today and in the future, have had and will have
such a dream, Lord! The need for unity and the desire for charity dwell in
human nature. Love, the law that unites the universe, is the reason and
vocation that You, Lord, entrust to everyone who comes to life. To live means
to feel loved and to be able to love. When one feels lonely, empty, without
love, it seems that life is worthless and colourless! How is it, then, Lord,
that not all seek love, always, nor do they all live for others, nor are they
capable of giving themselves? To give oneself to each other means transforming
the existence of the world into gift. Grant, Lord, that I may understand and
live this wonderful vocation of love! (Lucio Renna)
4. CONTEMPLATIO
On earth, the
knowledge we can have of God is divine silence. Through the lectio divina our
thirst for the Word is not quenched but is made more acute. St. Augustine
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