+ Today we celebrate an immeasurably profound and wondrous reality: the Divine Heart of God! And we must take care to perhaps get a fuller understanding of it today than ever before. What we know as the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" is only half of the story! If Jesus is the perfect image of the Father's reality – when we see Jesus we see the Father – then, when we see the amazing and Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are seeing the amazing and Divine Heart of God the Father.
The Divine Heart of God the Father has been long underestimated and underscored. It was the Divine Heart of God the Father that was responsible for immediately planning our reconciliation and salvation after He, Himself was offended and treated in a dastardly way! It was the Divine Heart of God the Father which was the "home" of God the Word, before he became Flesh in order to obey his Father and save the likes of us. It was the Divine Heart of God the Father, as well as pierced heart of Mary the Mother of Jesus,
who received their Son, when he was taken down from the Cross. Good Friday was an incredibly painful day for both of them!
This is the "Heart of the Shepherd" that was referred to in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel in the first reading today. This passage refers both to the Heart of the Son and the Father – to shepherd the flock (as one) and gather the scattered sheep, rescuing them from every place that they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark, leading them from foreign lands back to their own country, finding good pasture for them, giving them rest, binding up the injured, healing the sick, shepherding them rightly! THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD THE SON AND THE FATHER – because of the presence of their very LOVING DYNAMIC ENERGY itself – a third Person – the HOLY SPIRIT. It is the Spirit of God who accomplished these things – for he IS LOVE – he is HEALTH – he is STRENGTH!
Jesus, in the gospel parable, makes the point that we need always remember: it is He, and his Father, and their Spirit who are the Good Shepherd – and it is the repentant sinner sheep that is most highly favored by them – otherwise, they did everything for nothing. If the forgiveness and reconciliation are available but no one makes use of it, then what good is it? The one repentant sinner sheep brings joy not only to those who are trying to help it here on earth, but also those who are pulling for it in heaven!
What is so amazing is that while we were all still sinners – Jesus did what he did – suffered ignominy, torture and death! He loves us so! He would do it again! In fact he does it again at this and every Mass! We are there at Calvary and we see the depth of his love poured out from a heart that gave forth blood and water so fully did he give himself for us!
Let us take the Lord's yoke upon us, and learn from him – how to give ourselves to others fully and out of great love – for he is meek and humble of heart!
God bless you!
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