The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | USCCB
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was
in 1675 that St. Margaret Mary had a vision of Jesus who told her that he
wanted the feast of the Sacred Heart to be celebrated on the Friday after the
feast of Corpus Christi.
This feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus helps us to see the love and
concern that our Lord Jesus Christ has for each one of us. It is in the
readings for today that shows us the imagery of a shepherd towards his sheep that
this love of Jesus is shown.
In our first reading we hear Ezekiel say of the Lord, “I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he findshimself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.” Sheep need that
guidance to stay close to the shepherd for protection and guidance from either
getting lost or the dangers of wolfs attacking the them. It is through the
church that Jesus shepherds each one of us. Then, later in today’s reading from
Ezekiel, we hear the Lord say that He will give them rest and to seek out the
lost and strayed, and to bring healing to those who are hurt and lost. It is
through the Church and the sacraments that the Lord can do all this.
In the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion our Lord brings us
healing and strength. These Sacraments are the tools that help us to turn back
to the Lord when we’re in the state of sin and need his healing touch. Through
confession we receive the gift of healing and forgiveness for our sins, and
then through the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, we receive
spiritual nourishment and strength to help us to remain faithful to Him and His
teachings.
As we read in today’s gospel, we hear further of Jesus being the Good
Shepherd and how He would seek out those lost in sin in order to bring them
back into relationship with Him and God the Father. Through this example of the
Good Shepherd, we can see that, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he has love
for each one of us and he wants us to always to turn back to him for His love, protection,
and healing. Let us always be open to the promptings of Jesus to be ever near
to Him through the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. It will be then
that we will have the peace and contentment that can only come from the loving
Heart of Jesus.
And this year the Sacred Heart of JESUS, our Good Shepherd, demonstrated His care for the most vulnerable & most marginalized of His sheep, the unborn & women in crisis pregnancies, by making His feast day the day when Roe v Wade has FINALLY been overturned, after almost 50 years, & validating state laws that seek to protect the unborn & their mothers from abortion.
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