The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity)
My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. (Hosea 11:8)
“Where are you off to now? To some church, probably, where you’ll gaze at the images and consider yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures.”
When Fr. John Eudes heard these words, he was cut to the heart. For years, he had been promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He had dedicated his whole priesthood to helping the people of seventeenth-century France grasp how tenderly God loved them. And yet here was a friend essentially calling him a hypocrite. “How can you go and say your prayers when the people around you are suffering so much?”
In truth, Fr. John was already working to remedy the situation. The “poor creatures” that the friend spoke about were the women that Fr. John and his workers had rescued from a life of prostitution. Lacking any source of income or anyone to help them, these poor ladies had been reduced to selling their bodies just so they could feed their children. Fr. John had arranged temporary housing for them so they could be safe from the men who preyed on them.
But this wasn’t enough. These women were still vulnerable. They needed a permanent home and the chance to earn a decent wage—something Fr. John could clearly make happen. Stung by his friend’s words, he immediately began the process of founding a religious order of sisters who would care for these women and all the others like them.
We might think that Fr. John’s friend was being too harsh. Hadn’t he done enough? Couldn’t someone else pick up where he left off? Maybe. But Fr. John Eudes knew that “just enough” would never be enough—not if he wanted to be like Jesus.
That’s the point of today’s feast. Jesus gave every drop of his blood to save us. His sacred heart was—and still is—“overwhelmed” with love for us (Hosea 11:8). He would do anything for us. And he did.
Today, ask yourself: Do I believe that Jesus loves me fully, deeply, and completely? Then spend some time pondering how you can move beyond loving someone “just enough” in the days ahead.
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, I give you my life.”
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6
Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
John 19:31-37
Daily Marriage Tip for June 8, 2018:
Today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, draw close to Jesus’s Heart. Lay your head on Jesus’s chest, and give him your troubles. His Heart beats with love for you.