and out of Egypt I called my son.
3 “Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk;
I took them by their arms.
But they did not know that it was I
who was healing them,
4 who was guiding them on through human means
with reins made of love.
With them I was like someone removing
the yoke from their jaws,
and I bent down to feed them.
8 Efrayim, how can I give you up,
or surrender you, Isra’el?
How could I treat you like Admah
or make you like Tzvoyim?
My heart recoils at the idea,
as compassion warms within me.
9 I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage,
I will not return to destroy Efrayim;
for I am God, not a human being,
the Holy One among you;
so I will not come in fury.
The Most Sacred Heart of JesusMy heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. (Hosea 11:8)
The story of Hosea and Gomer is one of the most touching stories in Scripture. After a number of happy years together, Hosea’s wife commits adultery. Hosea is discouraged and distressed, but God tells him to forgive her and welcome her back home. Then God tells Hosea that this is how Israel, his spouse, treats him. He pours his love on his people, but they go and commit spiritual adultery with false gods and worldly practices.
Sadly, what was true for Israel in Hosea’s time is often true for us. Yes, we love God, but we also are attracted to many other gods like money, sexuality, possessions, or status.
But as you can see in the first reading, God says, “My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger” (Hosea 11:8-9). These words capture themessage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They tell us that God loves us. They tell us that he has compassion on us, despite our waywardness.
In one of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s visions, Jesus showed her his heart and said, “Behold the Heart that has loved humanity so much that it has spared nothing… in order to testify to them about its love. But in return I receive from the greater part of them only ingratitude.”
The message of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also a message of overwhelming compassion for those who suffer—the poor, the sick, the maligned, and the rejected. If you are suffering, know that Jesus is with you, standing right beside you. He is blessing you. He is filling you with grace and love. He is pouring out his heart for you.
So as you celebrate today’s feast, keep these two messages in mind. First, repent of any ways that you have chased after other gods. And second, know that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is overwhelmed with compassion for everyone who is suffering.
“Thank you, Jesus, for never giving up on us. Lord, may we never lose sight of your love.” Amen!
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2 “See! God is my salvation.
I am confident and unafraid;
for Yah Adonai is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation!”
3 Then you will joyfully draw water
from the springs of salvation.
4 On that day you will say,
“Give thanks to Adonai! Call on his name!
Make his deeds known among the peoples,
declare how exalted is his name.
5 Sing to Adonai, for he has triumphed —
this is being made known throughout the earth.
6 Shout and sing for joy,
you who live in Tziyon;
for the Holy One of Isra’el
is with you in his greatness!”
Ephesians 3:8 To me, the least important of all God’s holy people, was given this privilege of announcing to the Gentiles the Good News of the Messiah’s unfathomable riches, 9 and of letting everyone see how this secret plan is going to work out. This plan, kept hidden for ages by God, the Creator of everything, 10 is for the rulers and authorities in heaven to learn, through the existence of the Messianic Community, how many-sided God’s wisdom is. 11 This accords with God’s age-old purpose, accomplished in the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord. 12 In union with him, through his faithfulness, we have boldness and confidence when we approach God.
14 For this reason, I fall on my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its character. 16 I pray that from the treasures of his glory he will empower you with inner strength by his Spirit, 17 so that the Messiah may live in your hearts through your trusting. Also I pray that you will be rooted and founded in love, 18 so that you, with all God’s people, will be given strength to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of the Messiah’s love, 19 yes, to know it, even though it is beyond all knowing, so that you will be filled with all the fullness of God.
John 19:31 It was Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat, since it was an especially important Shabbat. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. 32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on a stake beside Yeshua, then the legs of the other one; 33 but when they got to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out. 35 The man who saw it has testified about it, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he tells the truth, so you too can trust. 36 For these things happened in order to fulfill this passage of the Tanakh:
“Not one of his bones will be broken.”[a]
37 And again, another passage says,
“They will look at him whom they have pierced.”[b][Footnotes:
John 19:36 Psalm 34:21(20); Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12
John 19:37 Zechariah 12:10]
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