We have recently celebrated the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity which summarized the gracious activity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the past several months of celebrating Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. God is Three, God is One and he chose to create us, and then intervene in our history when we got things wrong at the very start – by sin! Last Sunday we celebrated another solemnity: Corpus Christi: it was an emphatic celebration of the desire of God to remain very close to his people until the end of time – as we make our pilgrim journey to where he resides most fully: heaven. In his Word and in the Eucharist God is really and truly present to us, and in us: so that we can experience his life now – the dynamic life of Divine Friendship – as a preparation of sharing it and participating in it forever in heaven.
Today we have another solemnity and the final related major feast: that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This feast answers the question: "Why" did God, Jesus, the Spirit do all of this: the answer being: OUT OF A TREMENDOUS DEPTH OF LOVE, COMPASSION AND MERCY for us! In the first reading today we see this love prophesied: even when his chosen band sinned against him, God's heart was overwhelmed with pity for them – he would withhold his blazing wrath against them and send them a healer: he would send them Jesus.
St. Paul tells us (II) that when we open ourselves to the knowledge of God and his compassion and his merciful love then we are on the way to experiencing true faith and the accompanying peace will fill our hearts – and all of our actions will be pure and holy in God's sight – and he will be pleased.
The gospel passage of course is one of the most dramatic scenes in all of human history: the Roman soldier pierced the heart of the Crucified God/Man: he who laid down his life for each and every member of the human race including us – BECAUSE HE LOVED US BEYOND ALL TELLING AND WANTED TO FREE US FROM SIN AND RESTORE US TO LIFE FOREVER – and blood and water flowed out: the blood for the forgiveness of our sins, the water, for the beginning of the sacramental life of the Church which was born at that moment, when the Eucharist (given first the night before in the Upper Room) was effected.
What an astounding scene! Jesus gave it all for us and for our salvation! And he provided for it to be made present throughout the ages until the end of time through a line of priests given authority and power to make it happen when he said to his Apostles at the supper: Do this in memory of me!
Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Priest. A good and holy priest is one who offers his heart to God to become likened as much as possible to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Shepherd & Priest): a loving heart, a self-sacrificing heart, a generous heart, a compassionate heart, a forgiving heart, a healing heart, a friendly heart, a merciful heart! May priests rededicate themselves to their never-ending gift of themselves to God for his purposes; and may the people of God dedicate themselves to praying this year for good and holy priests – who are beset with faults and weaknesses like everyone else – but who have ordination gifts from the Holy Spirit to rise above them quite successfully for the good of the Church and the salvation of their own souls!
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque – who spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the 19th century – pray for us; St. Maria Faustina Kowalska who spread devotion to the Divine Mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the 20th century – pray for us; St. John Marie Vianney, Cure of Ars – pray for us!
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