JUNE 12, 2015 : SOLEMNITY OF MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lectionary: 171

Reading 1HOS 11:1, 3-4, 8C-9

Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
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 PsalmIS 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 of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 2EPH 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.

AlleluiaMT 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.

Or1 JN 4:10B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God first loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 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.

www.usccb.org

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. God proved his love for us by sending us his beloved Son who withheld nothing from us but gave everything he had for our sake. Paul the Apostle tells us that "Jesus loved us and gave himself up for us - a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). God's love is perfect and complete because God is merciful, just, and forgiving. 

Do you know the love and mercy of Christ for you? Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said 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. The Lord Jesus who died for our sake now reigns triumphant at the right hand of the Father. He has risen in glory and he now 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 - never to die again - for our sake. Only a broken and contrite heart can fathom the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus calls us to lay down our lives in sacrificial love for one another. 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.”

www.dailyscripture.net

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, JOHN 19:31-37
(Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9; Isaiah 12; Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19)

KEY VERSE: "They will look upon him whom they have pierced" ( v.37).
TO READ: The Jews had a law that prohibited those who had been executed from being left on the gallows after sunset on the eve of the Sabbath (Dt 21:23). The crucified could hang for days before dying, but death could be hastened by breaking the legs. This prevented the victim from supporting the weight of the body, thereby causing suffocation. Accordingly, a soldier came to break the legs of Jesus, but when he saw that he was already dead, he pierced Jesus' side with a spear. The Church is seen as issuing from the side of Jesus, just as Eve came forth from the side of Adam. The water and blood that poured forth from the heart of the Savior is a symbol of Baptism and Eucharist. This feast of the Sacred Heart celebrates the truth that God is love, and desires that all generations discover this truth through the person of his Son Jesus, and to respond to his great love offered on the cross for our salvation.
TO REFLECT: How do I show Christ's love to all who are wounded by sin?
TO RESPOND: Sacred Heart of Jesus, fill my heart with love for you and your Church.

NOTE: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes back at least to the 11th century, but through the 16th century it remained a private devotion, often tied to devotion to the Five Wounds of Christ. The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in 1670, in Rennes, France. But it took the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) for the devotion to become universal. In all of these visions, the Sacred Heart of Jesus played a central role. Christ asked St. Margaret Mary to request that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be celebrated in reparation for the ingratitude of humanity for the sacrifice that he had made for them. Almost 100 years later, in 1856, Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the universal Church. It is celebrated on the Friday after the octave (or eighth day) of Corpus Christi, or 19 days after Pentecost Sunday.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Friday 12 June 2015

Sacred Heart of Jesus. Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation—Isaiah 12:2-6. Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19. John 19:31-37.

Readings

I led them with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love.

Jesus had one message: ‘You have a Father who loves and cares for you.’ In trying to get this through to his followers, Jesus may have quoted Hosea and used his image of a parent guiding a toddler’s hesitant steps, picking the child up and comforting him or her after a fall.

In the reading from Ephesians, it is clear that this guidance underscores our whole lives. The Father desires that each of us becomes one with Jesus, knowing his love and drawn into the very life of the Trinity.

John reveals the human outcome of Jesus’ love for the Father and all people. Evil could not tolerate such goodness. The last drops of his blood drained out, until only clear fluid remained. Jesus, draw me to follow you.

www.pray.com.au

June 12
Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland
(d. 1298)

Jolenta was the daughter of Bela IV, King of Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde, was married to the Duke of Poland. Jolenta was sent to Poland where her sister was to supervise her education. Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke of Greater Poland, Jolenta was able to use her material means to assist the poor, the sick, widows and orphans. Her husband joined her in building hospitals, convents and churches so that he was surnamed "the Pious."

Upon the death of her husband and the marriage of two of her daughters, Jolenta and her third daughter entered the convent of the Poor Clares. War forced Jolenta to move to another convent where, despite her reluctance, she was made abbess.

So well did she serve her Franciscan sisters by word and example that her fame and good works continued to spread beyond the walls of the cloister. Her favorite devotion was the Passion of Christ. Indeed, Jesus appeared to her, telling her of her coming death. Many miracles, down to our own day, are said to have occurred at her grave.

Comment:

Jolenta’s story begins like a fairy tale. But fairy tales seldom include the death of the prince and never end with the princess living out her days in a convent. Nonetheless, Jolenta’s story has a happy ending. Her life of charity toward the poor and devotion to her Franciscan sisters indeed brought her to a “happily ever after.” Our lives may be short on fairy-tale elements, but our generosity and our willingness to serve well the people we live with lead us toward an ending happier than we can imagine.

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS (B)

Lectio: 

 Friday, June 12, 2015 - 00 - 08

A soldier pierces Jesus’ heart
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.

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.

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?

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.'

'Praise Yahweh,
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 in Zion,
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 said: «You find him only to seek him more avidly». When a heart is seduced by the Word, it feels as if it were dying if the encounter were to be deferred. This is what Teresa of Avila experienced: «Muero por que no muero» (I die because I do no die). To initiate this moment of contemplation, I would like to quote three sayings of Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity. They are taken from a part entitled “ a hymn” to suffering, but we must not think that suffering was the Absolute in her life. Rather she says that we are called to “enter into the joy of the Lord”. The first thought is: «Suffering is such a great thing, such a divine thing! It seems to me that if the Blessed in heaven could envy us one thing, they would envy us this treasure. It is such a powerful lever on the heart of the good God!» (Letter to Mrs. Angles, 14 August 1904). The second thought is: «Suffering is a string that produces even sweeter sounds and she (the soul) likes to make it its instrument to move more deliciously the heart of God» (Retreat on How to find heaven on earth). The last thought is: «Nothing moves God’s heart like suffering. If we cannot desire or go to meet it, then at least we can accept the trials that God sends us. The more he loves a soul, the more he makes it suffer» (Diary, 17 March 1889). Why is it that Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity sees in suffering «such a great thing, such a divine thing that moves the heart of God?» Because it is the road taken by Christ. Christ’s Pasch, passion and death on the one hand and resurrection on the other are one as are concave and convex.

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