Pope Leo seemed to echo an important truth found in our second reading today, from the epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul speaks of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. The love of Christ, in a sense, exceeds the capacity of words to explain. For his love is infinite and our words are finite. So, the image of the Sacred Heart—pierced with the crown of thorns, burning with the fire of divine love—helps us to grasp God’s love for us. The symbol helps us to contemplate a love that is too deep for words
The Greek word Paul uses for love here is “agape”---the love of God which withholds nothing and seeks our highest good. The image of the Sacred Heart is an image of the “agape-love” God has for us. The Lord gave everything, allowing himself to be treated as the lowliest slave, enduring torture and the death of a criminal, to bring about our highest good, our salvation. His love embraces unfathomable suffering and the darkness of death so that sinners may be redeemed.
Light emits from the image of the Sacred Heart because God wants us to know the love that He has for us.
This day is certainly for reflecting upon, celebrating, and thanking God for his infinite love for us. It is also a day of reparation. A recognition that the stinging thorns embedded in his heart are because of my sins. My actions. My decisions. My failure to love God and love neighbor as a should. As the Lord Himself revealed to St. Margaret Mary, devotees of the sacred heart are to make reparation for the sins which cause His heart “to be wounded by the ingratitude of man.”
Today is a wonderful day to pray the Litany to the Sacred Heart as we do at our first Friday holy hour every month here at St. Ignatius, for the Lord’s mercy, the mercy of his sacred heart, to cover us, and be more deeply revealed to us, and become more deeply rooted in our own hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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We bring our needs to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Please respond to each of these petitions, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us”
That the Church may be continually cleansed and sanctified by the blood and water that gave us new birth.
For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those who lack faith, and in reparation for all ingratitude toward God, for all sin and all blasphemy.
For all those who are sick or burdened in any way, may they come to know and experience the refreshment of Christ’s love.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
Grant, Good Jesus, that we may live in you and for you. Protect us in the midst of danger. Comfort us in our afflictions. Give us health of body, assistance in our temporal needs, your blessing on all that we do, and the grace of a holy death. Through Christ Our Lord.
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