The Sacred Heart of Jesus, CatholicsStrivingForHoliness.org.
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Matthew 9:36-38.
Click here for the readings of the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary time.
Click here for the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, 12 June 2026.
Click on words highlighted in red for further information.
One of the most familiar Catholic pictures of the Lord is as the Sacred Heart, a heart literally burning with love of us, his sinful followers, even as we stumble and trip on our way to eternal salvation. That image of Jesus is quite old, dating back to the crucifixion itself, when the Roman soldier pierced the side and heart of Jesus with his lance. But in the Middle Ages a deeper devotion appeared, encouraged by Bernard of Clairvaux and Gertrude the Great, which meditated on his heart and awareness, even on the cross itself, forgiving his murderers and promising salvation to the repentant thief crucified with him. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was the one who received visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and formulated devotions, under Jesus’ guidance, which survive to this day. We will celebrate the Sacred Heart on Friday 12 June this year.
And the gospel for the 11th Sunday in the “A” Cycle of readings at today’s Sunday Mass, which highlights the gospel of Matthew, has the statement written above, “Jesus’ heart was moved with pity…” at the sight of so many people desperate for hope and looking for a message in which they could trust. And so it is today, even more so with Jesus’ second thought: “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few…” as true today as it was 2000 years ago. And so, as the gospel states, he called 12 of his disciples and gave them authority and power over the devils of suffering of every kind. And so the Christian mission began, continuing today and will do forever. And then there is the first reading today. It ends with the strong statement, God speaking to the Hebrew people: “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”. Translating that to us today, it states quite clearly that God expects each of us Christians to be the absolute best that we can be, implementing our God-given gifts. And with the clear teachings of Christ we are to use those gifts for the good of others to the best of our ability. And that thought can be clearly carried over to the gospel today. Here we have a list of the names of the first disciples of the Lord. Note that a “disciple” is one who learns from another, probably older and wiser, teacher. An “apostle” is one sent forth with a message to spread once everything has been learned as a disciple. So today’s gospel seems to have focussed on that moment when they became apostles, now trusted by the Lord to preach the Good News as they had themselves received it. And so, down through the centuries until today, when it is up to each of us to spread the message of salvation and hope in the way we act and speak, to the very best of our ability. And looking at those first apostles, it was a very random bunch of characters. Mostly not well educated, except perhaps Matthew the tax collector. Certainly they were skilled, but in the trades they had been born into, or had adopted. But now their affiliation with Jesus had given them an entirely new outlook way beyond the fishing nets and counting desks, the ploughs and the grape picking, They had entered into the world of souls and salvation. Clearly they were up for it, except Judas. Once emboldened by God’s Holy Spirit, they became fearless propagators of the Word even unto a violent death, all of whom, save John, were destined to suffer.
So, does the Lord look on any one of us and have his heart moved with pity? Is there any one of us troubled and abandoned, alone and unloved? Many of the saints have experienced that, so if you are victim of this, you are not alone. Dorothy Day, the Catholic activist who founded the Catholic Worker Movement, even called her autobiography The Great Loneliness. But in a strange way, such a state almost sets us up for an encounter with God. Just look at the opening words of today’s gospel. By its very nature, if we open up to God at such a time, there is no telling what the result might be. But the key word is “open”. If we are in such a state, we have no reason, or even right, to set up barriers of any sort. Maintaining a stable frame of mind and a balanced attitude, then we can anticipate or even expect to receive the Divine into our lives. And picking up from that, we should allow ourselves to undertake whatever it is that God wants from us. And just as God gave Jesus the courage to undergo his Passion, and Dorothy her mission, and any number of saints their vocations, it should become clear what it is God expects from each of us, namely our vocation, singularly based on the gifts we have received from God, enabling us to do exactly that. Then it is up to us to implement such insight, and embark on a life of a Servant of God, as countless individuals have done before us, obeying the call of God. And God will be there at all times to help and support us. We are never alone!
Maiestà with Angels and Saints, Duccio c.1312, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena, Italy.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WEBPAGE TO SOMEONE YOU THINK WOULD LIKE IT.
THANK YOU.
Reflections on next Sunday’s Mass Readings will be posted on Wednesday.
Please send your reactions to: RogerJohn@aol.com
©SundayMassReadings.com
_-_The_Ascension_-_LOAN27_-_Dorset_Museum_%5E_Art_Gallery.jpg){kind=link}