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The readings for today on the solemnity of the most sacred heart of Jesus is most comforting, endearing and inspiring.

No one can love or care for us as much as our loving shepherd, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. His watchful ever loving gaze is upon us, always ready to make haste to help us. So great is His love for us that He laid down His life so that we might be free from the bondages of sin. We now live free and to the full with and in Him.

Praise and glory forever be to Jesus my Lord!

“While ages course along,
Blest be, with loudest song,
The Sacred Heart of Jesus,
By ev’ry heart and tongue,
The Sacred Heart of Jesus,
by ev’ry heart and tongue.” Amen

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for us…



________

First reading
Ezekiel 34:11-16

I will look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view

The Lord God says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I shall bring them out of the countries where they are; I shall gather them together from foreign countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land. I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

________

Second reading
Romans 5:5-11

Now we have been reconciled by the death of his Son, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son

The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.




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Gospel
Luke 15:3-7

There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner

Jesus spoke this parable to the scribes and Pharisees:
    ‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.’

O most sacred heart of Jesus who for love of me died so that I may live, I consecrate myself to You. Wash me in Your most precious blood that I may be white as snow.

Teach me to walk in Your ways Lord and pick me up when I stumble and fall.

Do not turn away from me Lord or surely I will whither and die. For You are my strength and all life flows from You.

Let Your Spirit dwell in me Lord, let Your love planted in me take root and grow. That I may be filled with the fullness of You, Christ Jesus who dwells in me. So that Your light may shine through me, as I minister to Your flock, my brethren. Amen
 

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for us…

Let us pray:

Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

________

First reading

Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9 ·

I will not give rein to my fierce anger, for I am God, not man

Listen to the word of the Lord:

When Israel was a child I loved him,

and I called my son out of Egypt.

I myself taught Ephraim to walk,

I took them in my arms;

yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.

I led them with reins of kindness,

with leading-strings of love.

I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;

stooping down to him I gave him his food.

Ephraim, how could I part with you?

Israel, how could I give you up?

How could I treat you like Admah,

or deal with you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils from it,

my whole being trembles at the thought.

I will not give rein to my fierce anger,

I will not destroy Ephraim again,

for I am God, not man:

I am the Holy One in your midst

and have no wish to destroy.

________

Second reading

Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19

The love of Christ is beyond all knowledge

I, Paul, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.

    This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:

    Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.

________

 

Gospel

John 19:31-37

Out of his pierced side there came out blood and water

It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:

Not one bone of his will be broken;

and again, in another place scripture says:

They will look on the one whom they have pierced.

No heart most pure, no heart most merciful, no heart most loving then the Sacred Heart of Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Today Lord Jesus I consecrate myself to Your most sacred heart. Teach me to love like You my sweet Jesus. Amen

 Sing this precious hymn with me in grace filled prayer…

To Jesus’ Heart, all burning

With fervent love for all,

My heart with fondest yearning

Shall raise its joyful call.

Refrain.

While ages course along,

Blest be with loudest song,

The sacred heart of Jesus

By ev’ry heart and tongue.

The sacred heart of Jesus

By ev’ry heart and tongue.

O heart, for me on fire

With love no-one can speak

My yet untold desire

God gives me for thy sake.

Too true, I have forsaken

Thy love for wilful sin;

Yet now let me be taken

Back by thy grace again.

As thou are meek and lowly,

And ever pure of heart,

So may my heart be wholly

Of thine the counterpart.

O that to me were given

The pinions of a dove.

I’d speed aloft to heaven

My Jesus love to prove.

When life away is flying,

and earth’s false glare is done;

still, Sacred heart, in dying

I’ll say I’m all thine own.

To Jesus Heart All Burning

First reading

Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9 ·

I will not give rein to my fierce anger, for I am God, not man

Listen to the word of the Lord:

When Israel was a child I loved him,

and I called my son out of Egypt.

I myself taught Ephraim to walk,

I took them in my arms;

yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.

I led them with reins of kindness,

with leading-strings of love.

I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;

stooping down to him I gave him his food.

Ephraim, how could I part with you?

Israel, how could I give you up?

How could I treat you like Admah,

or deal with you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils from it,

my whole being trembles at the thought.

I will not give rein to my fierce anger,

I will not destroy Ephraim again,

for I am God, not man:

I am the Holy One in your midst

and have no wish to destroy.

Second reading

Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19

The love of Christ is beyond all knowledge

I, Paul, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.

    This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:

    Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.

Gospel

John 19:31-37

Out of his pierced side there came out blood and water

It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:

Not one bone of his will be broken;

and again, in another place scripture says:

They will look on the one whom they have pierced.

O Sacred heart of Jesus why do You love me so?

I am but a sinner who frequently chooses sin over being obedient to You. I choose sinful distractions instead of turning to You for comfort and peace.

O Sacred heart of Jesus why do You love me so?I am petty, impatient and often inward looking. I am generous only when it suits me and far from humble in thoughts and in my words.

O Sacred heart of Jesus why do You love me so?

Still You never leave me to my own devices and always gently call me Home to You. You remind me then I am a child of God my Heavenly Father and so deeply loved. You Jesus my Lord have set me free from all sin so that Your peace and love can reign in my heart; and this new heart of flesh within me grows ever bigger for love of You and my brethren.

O Sacred heart of Jesus how I love you so! Amen

Let us pray….O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with immense Love; broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins; yet loving us still ; accept the consecration we make to You of all that we are and all that we have. Through me, may everyone I meet this day see You. Lord feel your presence and experience Your Love. May I serve You by serving others in Your Name making all that I do a gift of Love. Amen

First reading

Deuteronomy 7:6-11 ·
The Lord set his heart on you and chose youMoses said to the people: ‘You are a people consecrated to the Lord your God; it is you that the Lord our God has chosen to be his very own people out of all the peoples on the earth.
‘If the Lord set his heart on you and chose you, it was not because you outnumbered other peoples: you were the least of all peoples. It was for love of you and to keep the oath he swore to your fathers that the Lord brought you out with his mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know then that the Lord your God is God indeed, the faithful God who is true to his covenant and his graciousness for a thousand generations towards those who love him and keep his commandments, but who punishes in their own persons those that hate him. He is not slow to destroy the man who hates him; he makes him work out his punishment in person. You are therefore to keep and observe the commandments and statutes and ordinances that I lay down for you today.’

Second reading

1 John 4:7-16
Let us love one another, since love comes from GodMy dear people,
let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean: not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.My dear people,
since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him
and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God and God lives in him.

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-30
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little childrenJesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’