 |
“St Margaret Mary Alacoque
Contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus”
by Corrado Giaquinto, c. 1765 |
Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus [2]
Reading from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: Ezekiel 34:11-16
Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I will lead them out from among the peoples
and gather them from the foreign lands;
I will bring them back to their own country
and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel
in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.
In good pastures will I pasture them,
and on the mountain heights of Israel
shall be their grazing ground.
There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,
and in rich pastures shall they be pastured
on the mountains of Israel.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
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Commentary on Ez 34:11-16
The prophet presents the allegory of God, the shepherd. In this oracle, the vision is God the Father, like a shepherd, will gather the people of Israel from the foreign lands to which they have been driven, and bring them back to “the mountains of Israel.”
"This beautiful oracle resounds in our Lord's parable of the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep (cf. John 10:1-21), in what he says about the Father's joy on finding the lost sheep (cf. Matthew 18: 12-14; Luke 15:4-7), and in things he has to say about the Last Judgment as reported by St Matthew (Matthew 25:31-46)." [5]
The tenderness shown by the good shepherd toward the sheep is especially pertinent on a feast day where we celebrate the intense love of Christ for the people of the world.
CCC: Ez 34:11-31 754
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
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Commentary on Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).” [6] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the Lord and place their trust in him, even into the “dark valley.”
The reference in the third strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).” [7]
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Reading II: Romans 5:5b-11
Brothers and sisters:
The love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
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Commentary on Rom 5:5b-11
In this selection of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he speaks of how the love of Christ is not just for those who are righteous, but for those who are sinners as well. His love of all mankind (exemplified as the Sacred Heart of Jesus) was demonstrated vividly, as he lay down his life so we might be reconciled to God.
St. Paul speaks of the hope of Christians who have been made holy, sanctified, “justified” by their faith in Christ Jesus. This faith was “poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” [in baptism]. (This connection between Christ and the Holy Spirit begins Paul’s Trinitarian theology.)
Justification is not through some merit of ours, but through God’s infinite mercy. The demonstration of mercy was Christ’s sacrifice even for those who called him “enemy.” While still burdened by sin (the Law of Moses defined sin and all were sinners because of this), Jesus became the sacrifice of atonement. His blood reconciled us to the Father by removing the sin that kept us apart.
CCC: Rom 5:3-5 2734, 2847; Rom 5:5 368, 733, 1820, 1964, 2658; Rom 5:8 604; Rom 5:10 603, 1825
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Gospel: Luke 15:3-7
Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance."
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Commentary on Lk 15:3-7
The Gospel of St. Luke gives us the parable of the Lost Sheep, connecting the metaphor of the good shepherd from Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:11-16) with the love of God for those who are lost to sin. This parable, along with the parable of the lost coin and the prodigal son, gives insight into the special love of Christ for those who are lost, but are found through repentance.
“The force of the parable comes from the challenge to each to recognize that were the loss one’s own, one’s behavior would be quite the same as that described in the parable. Though the man pictured has ninety-nine other sheep, it is quite natural that he should give a disproportionate share of his attention and concern to the one that is lost. Temporarily in the situation of loss this one is more important than all the rest put together. The man will no doubt ask someone else to keep a general eye on the sheep he leaves grazing, but he is quite prepared to deprive them for a time of their normal level of care for the sake of the sheep that has been lost.” [8]
CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk 15:1-2 589; Lk 15:7 545
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Reflection:
The human spirit is frequently moved by different external influences. A touching story, even one known to be fiction, can bring a tear to our eyes. A piece of music, sensitively played, may cause a variety of emotions depending upon the way it touches us. Similarly, pieces of art evoke emotions and thoughts both verbal and nonverbal that move our spirit. The image of Christ on the cross is a constant reminder of the Lord’s sacrifice. We see it in our churches and wear it around our necks. We even recall it symbolically when we pray; making the sign on our own bodies.
Today in a great feast of the Church, that occurs nineteen days after Pentecost, we remind ourselves of the great love Jesus bore for us in spite of our sinful nature, as we worship him in his most Sacred Heart. Like many of the more mystic devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart is not as prominent as it was in a more innocent age, in an age where an artificial heart had not been invented, and where no one could even dream of a heart transplant. The devotion to Jesus’ Most Sacred Heart was not directed to the physical organ that pumped blood, although it is depicted in that way. Rather the worship of Christ in His Most Sacred Heart was focused on the metaphorical heart seen as the seat of love and compassion.
Sacred Scripture repeatedly drives home the Lord’s command for us to love as he loves. It is the greatest commandment, and the most difficult thing he demands of us. We see in his essence the love of God poured out for us. We see, in the images given to us, the great pain the heart of Jesus endured for us, as it is classically depicted, with a spear thrust into it as a symbol of his crucifixion, his human death endured for our sins. We see also the crown of thorns depicted in the traditional image, worn as part of his great passion, also endured so our sins might be forgiven. And we see the flames surrounding it, for the Lord descended to hell and defeated death, rising triumphantly, his love for all of us blazing forth, undiminished by its tortuous path.
Along the path of his great passion, we are joined in devotion to the Lord’s great love with our need to give reparations to the Lord. He calls us to himself with his great love. But we must come to him unburdened by sin for which we may atone. He offers his forgiveness, and we are called to reconciliation in him. This is the mystery of the Sacred Heart. This is the unknowable love of God poured out through his Son. Today we offer our greatest contrition to God, who is love expressed most beautifully in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pax
In other years on this date: Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
[1] Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “St Margaret Mary Alacoque Contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus” by Corrado Giaquinto, c. 1765.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.733.
[6] NAB footnote on Psalm 23.
[7] Ibid.
[8] John Nolland, Luke 9:21–18:34, vol. 35B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1993), 773.
