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Tag: Sacred Heart of Jesus

  • A HEART THAT SEEKS AND LONGS FOR US

    A HEART THAT SEEKS AND LONGS FOR US

    June 24, 2022 – Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062422.cfm)

    I remember my late grandmother when I was younger. Together with my cousins, we were gathered in the living room of our grandparent’s home for some celebration. Then, suddenly our grandmother, we called her Nanay Iyay, was looking for her eye glasses. She kept looking for the glasses until she grew tired and suspected one of us grandchildren played with it and hid it from her, as some of us really were naughty at that time. That was the automatic presumption of Nanay Iyay until she got really annoyed. And most of us were laughing at our grandmom which made her mad, until one of us told her, “Nanay, try touching your head.” And when Nanay Iyay touched her head, there she found her glasses.

    Yes, we naturally look and search for something or someone that we have lost. But how could we find something if it is not lost after all? This happened with our late Nanay Iyay who was searching for her eye glasses that was never been lost. Indeed, our search for God is useless because we tend to search God outside, instead of recognizing Him in our very life, in our very human experiences.

    On this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us discover together how God invites us today.

    In the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel and the Gospel of Luke present to us an image of God that Jesus wants to show to us today. Ezekiel affirms that it is God who searches and leads back those that have gone astray. In the parable, Jesus also tells us of the Shepherd who seeks the lost until he finds the lost sheep.

    This image of God tells us of a God who searches for the lost, the broken and the wounded. Thus, God never lost His way. In fact, it is us who will be lost. We are the sheep in the stories who are driven by our selfish desires, lost by our fears, who hid because of our shame and guilt, who retreated because of our wounded heart.

    Like the sheep, we might also wander to the other side thinking that there is security in addictions and vices, in depression and loneliness, in anger and hatred. Yet, we are wrong. The moment we step into these traps, then, we are lost. And this becomes a refusal to God’s invitation to be free and to have the fullness of life.

    Thus, Jesus leads us to God who invites us and searches for us not just once but in every opportunity in our life. Again, in the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet proclaims to us the heart of God that cares, heals and gives life. In the same way, our Responsorial Psalm beautifully captures the assurance we have with God, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” We won’t be needing anything because God gives us the fullness of life.

    This is also what St. Paul tells in his Letter to the Romans that this fullness of life is indeed possible despite the failures or mistakes, sins and guilt that we have. Yet, it will only be possible through the grace of reconciliation that is being expressed in a love that heals the brokenhearted and that binds up the wounded.

    With all of these, the message of this feast is summed up in this– that God has a heart that seeks and longs for us and will not give up on us, no matter what, because we are always so dear to Him. Indeed, love is the language of the Sacred Heart of Jesus expressed in God’s desire to search and to find us so that we will be given with the fullness of life.

    These are at least three take aways that I want you to remember now.

    First, allow the Lord to search and find us. We can do this by always being aware of God’s presence and also by being humble enough to acknowledge our failures and guilt.

    Second, allow the Lord to lead us where he wants us to be. God only desires that we will be able to live life fully, hence, we may be able to identify what we only want from what God wants for us.

    Third, be available for others. The very heart of Jesus only means love and by being available for others, is an expression of that love. As you realize your dreams and hopes, be available for others by building friendships, by reaching out and giving life to others as the heart of Jesus has done to us. Kabay pa.

  • LOVE IS THE FULLNESS OF GOD

    LOVE IS THE FULLNESS OF GOD

    June 11, 2021 – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061121.cfm)

    In the Book of Prophet Hosea, we have been presented with an image of God as a parent and as a healer. Hosea beautifully captures these images of God who only fills with love His child, Israel. God’s love, indeed, nurtures and heals, builds and forgives. Such way of loving from God is written in the whole Scripture that is why we are always reminded how God calls us again and again through love.

    This is best described in the Responsorial Psalm today taken from the Book of Isaiah. The Prophet expresses his confidence in God because he has experienced with God the love that gives strength and courage. God’s presence is water that fills and satisfies our empty heart, quenches the thirst in us for love and support.

    In the same confidence, Paul also reminds the Ephesians of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. This is love beyond idea or any ideology, but this is in its most concrete expression of love that sacrifices oneself for the sake of the beloved. This is love that gives life. This is how Paul affirms that the love of Christ truly fills us because love is the fullness of God.

    In that fullness of God, God only desires to share that love that will fill every empty but insecure and fearful heart. This is how the Gospel of John reveals to us the physical and literal overflowing of blood and water from the pierced heart of Jesus. The soldier who thrusted his lance into the side of Jesus witnessed this.

    The seemingly dead body of Jesus, flowed out blood and water which only gives life and joy, satisfies emptiness and also nurtures and heals, builds and forgives. This tells us that even when Jesus was being hurt, the Lord continues to bring out his love and only love.

    This is the very message of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Solemnity is not a mere worshipping of an organ, “the heart” per se, but of Jesus himself who constantly showed us the love of God spoken about in the Scriptures.

    There are two invitations for us today.

    First. Be filled by that love of Christ. His love only brings fullness in us. Thus, learn to be confident in his love! Be overwhelmed by his love! Seek his love that will satisfy our every hunger and thirst for love and intimacy, for acceptance and support.

    Second. Learn from his way of loving. Let our expression of love to truly give life. Let our love nurtures immaturity, builds the confidence of the fearful, heals the brokenhearted and in pain, forgives the sinner and does not plant hate and violence. Hinaut pa.

  • On Denial and Denial of Oneself

    On Denial and Denial of Oneself

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    August 7, 2020 – Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time

    First Friday: Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080720.cfm)

    Homily

    What’s the difference between ON DENIAL and DENIAL OF ONESELF?

    Being ON DENIAL is non-acknowledgement of the self. It neither recognizes nor own the self. It does not recognize ones failures and sins and so the person refuses to change and be converted. It is also the same as one denies his or her illness and so refuses any form of treatment or medication.

    Thus, to be ON DENIAL is also a way of denying our responsibility over the wrong that we have done. We are on denial because we do not want our responsibility and take the consequences. This might be because of fear of punishment and/or because of shame that we will endure upon admitting.

    A person who is on denial of one’s failures and sins could respond in two different ways. The person may project those failures and sins to others by making false accusations of people around him or her. One the other hand, a person may put the blame on others for such failures and sins while maintaining a self-righteous attitude.

    We find ourselves in this kind of situation of being “on denial” through our explicit reactions when we are being confronted. When confronted we become angry and irritable, aggressive and reactive. In this way, the self tries to exercise control and dominance and when opposed, the person becomes aggressive. Or we may express a passive attitude and an indifferent response to confrontation. This is expressed in hiding or retreating from confrontation. Therefore, no matter how people around us would bring to our attention those failures and sins we committed, we are not moved because we have just lost our conscience.

    Being on denial, then, is a hopeless effort to save and secure oneself, yet, in the long run we lose ourselves and others because we distance from the grace of God.

    However, this is not what the Lord wants us to be. The Gospel today invites us to learn the attitude of the “DENIAL OF ONESELF.”

    Before we can deny ourselves, there is a need first to acknowledge, recognize and own ourselves. This includes recognition of both weaknesses and strengths, of failures and successes, of sins and graces in us, as well as our needs, wants and desires.

    Denial of oneself then, is an act of love, a responsible action and a life-giving response.

    Think of what parents can do. When parents think more of the welfare and well-being of their children, in a way, they exercise self-denial for the sake of those whom they love. Parents find more life and happiness as they deny their personal satisfaction and wants for the sake of their children.

    Think of the many medical front liners today also. Despite the danger of getting infected and being separated from their families, they endure such responsibility for the sake of others and for the good of our community. This is how self-sacrificing people find fulfillment in life despite the challenges in their profession or field of work.

    Think of those who offered and volunteered themselves in both civic and  Church organizations, not because of the benefits they receive but to serve the community and the Church in their own capacity. These people find more meaning in life as they encounter and share their life with others.

    These are expressions of the “Denial of Oneself.” To deny oneself allows us to bring ourselves before others, to make our personal satisfaction and wants as lesser priority for the sake of others. It allows us to make a self-sacrifice for the good and welfare of those whom we love.

    Denial of oneself assumes responsibility and does things not just out of duty, but out of love, out of concern, out of kindness and generosity. This is how we find the Gospel message truly liberating, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

    Therefore, we discover more ourselves by relating with others. We begin to appreciate and love more ourselves by appreciating and loving others too because as we encounter others and let them be part of our life, then, we also begin to recognize the presence of the Lord in them and among us.

    This is how we find “more life and lasting happiness” because we find God in the lives of others. Hinaut pa.                                          

    Jom Baring, CSsR