ACTIONS PROCEED FROM THE HEART/MEDITATION/HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS YEAR B (JUNE 07 2024)

HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YEAR B (JUNE 07, 2024)

Hosea 11:1.3-4.8c-9; Isa.12; Eph.3:8-12.14-19; John 19:31-37

Dear brothers and sisters,

On this solemn day, we turn our gaze to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the epitome of divine love and sanctity. Christ Himself taught that sin's genesis is not in our deeds but in the recesses of our thoughts. When we harbor animosity, our hearts become fertile grounds for evil, and thus, sin takes root. The heart, therefore, is the crucible of all human actions, and it is within this sacred space that love must first be kindled.

As we honor the Sacred Heart, we celebrate a heart devoid of selfishness and pettiness, a heart that embodies the purest form of love—capable of forgiveness and the ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of humanity.

This solemnity beckons us to reflect on the purity of our own hearts. It is a call to introspection, to ensure that our practice of Christianity transcends the superficiality of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were preoccupied with outward piety. We must guard against the internalization of sin, where the heart becomes a hidden stage for unacted transgressions, falsely comforting us in perceived innocence.

Our Lord's celebration implores us to align our actions with our innermost thoughts, for any divergence therein is tantamount to hypocrisy. Let us not reduce our hearts to repositories of concealed sins, for such concealment cannot withstand the test of time or truth. The battle against sin and the devil begins with the heart, and we must be vigilant about what we expose it to, for these inputs forge the substance of our character.

True love, the love that Christ exemplifies, springs from holiness. In the first reading, we hear the Lord, through the Prophet Hosea, express an unwavering love for Israel—a love characterized by compassion and nurturing care. The psalmist echoes this sentiment, proclaiming the joy found in the wells of salvation.

To emulate Christ, we must strive to mirror the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was His heartfelt love that propelled the events of the Paschal Mystery, leading to our salvation. Love, as potent a force as hatred, has the power to transform. The more we immerse ourselves in the waters of salvation, the more we are inclined towards acts of love.

Let us, therefore, draw near to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, allowing it to shape our own hearts, that we may love not just in thought but in every aspect of our being.

Amen.

God bless you all