Love Poured Out

Our Community observes several important feast days that help us focus on our charism and mission. Our primary community feast is the Ascension of our Lord, which is the Church’s feast of hope. Jesus, alive and risen, returned to the Father to prepare a place for us and therein lies our hope.

Our secondary feast is the one we observe tomorrow, June 19. It is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Sisters of Jesus Our Hope we are called to live a life of “Love Poured Out” and the heart of Jesus is the symbol of self-emptying love.

The Gospel for the solemnity is taken from the Gospel of St. John 19:31-37:

Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

Jesus’ heart was pierced and only blood and water flowed from the wound, a sign that there was nothing left in his body. He had given everything; there was no more to give! That is how much He loves us!

St. Paul reminds us of that in the second reading for the Mass: (Eph. 3)

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/061909.shtml

When we are confronted with situations that challenge us to give generously of ourselves, even if it is just a little bit, let us remember that scene on Calvary, when Jesus gave everything. We are Christians, followers of Jesus, and we are called to do the same. At those challenging times, let us focus our thoughts on His Sacred Heart, a reminder of His love.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/heart/heart1.htm