Prayer Prompt before reading LK 15:3-7: Come, Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray, interpret the Scriptures for me so that I may know the Truth about who God the Father is and God the Son so that I may know who I am.
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
Where does the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus come from?
“I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment” (Jesus to St. Margaret Mary).
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI speaking of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus several years ago said: “In biblical language, “heart” indicates the center of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God’s love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy.
Practicing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ therefore means adoring that Heart which, after having loved us to the end, was pierced by a spear and from high on the Cross poured out blood and water, an inexhaustible source of new life” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2016-06-03
Jesus has revealed His heart to us as love and mercy. This is what He came to earth for, reconcile sinners back to God. Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us, we are His “the one”. So, God has done all He needs to do to save us. Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice, now there can only be one response to this radical love, a radical yes (Totus Tuus).
When we don’t we reject God’s love and mercy. Imagine you work your whole life to serve another person and love them with all of your heart, then they reject you, they walk away and never come back. Even worse, what if they say they don’t love you. This is what we do when we don’t recognize what Christ did for us and we stop praying, going to Mass, and receiving the sacraments.
The worst we can ever do is reject our baptism or not educate ourselves on what our baptism means. The amazing thing is no matter how many times we reject God or push Him away, every moment of our lives He is ready to love you and forgive you. “God is love straight through” says Bishop Barron.
This is the point of today’s Gospel in the parable of the lost sheep. The heaven’s rejoice when one sinner repents. God needs us to go into the world and tell everyone of His mercy and love. Who would reject this love and forgiveness? People don’t understand it or don’t know about it.
It is our job to get this Good News out into the world and to instill it in our kids for generations to come. The world not coming to God’s mercy and Him trying to tell us this started with St. Mary Margaret Alacoque in 1675 with visions from Jesus Christ. It continued in the apparition of Mary to the 3 children at Fatima. It culminated in the visions of Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska and the Pope of Mercy, St. John Paul II establishing Divine Mercy Sunday.
Pope Benedict XVI Emeritus and today Pope Francis have continued this great message in the Church (Year of Mercy; Jubilee Year of Mercy). May we never forget the intention of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, love and mercy for all created beings.
Today’s challenge: 1. Recognize your identity in Christ. We are sinners in need of a Savior, He is the Man! Thank Him every day for His mercy and love and persevere in coming back to Him each time we fall. 2. learn to forgive ( Servant of God, Fr. Kapaun says, “If we fail to forgive, we are rejecting our own faith.” This is difficult because it comes from the center of our being and has great emotions attached to it. 3. Get the word out in your homes, schools, businesses and communities about God’s Divine Mercy!
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
― Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/heart/sh_novena.htm
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YODO (You Only Die Once; we will live again!)
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