Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

Today is the special day called the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We sometimes see statues of Jesus and we also see His Heart. When we see the Heart of Jesus, we immediately think how much Jesus loves us. On Valentine’s Day we make hearts and we tell each other “I love you.” But, how often do you tell Jesus, “I love you.” Jesus asked that we love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul and all our strength. When we pray, we should always tell Jesus, “I love you.” We know how much God loves us when we look at Crucifix. Jesus told His apostles, “There is no greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus laid down His life for us on the Cross. Do you recall what happened to Jesus after He died? A soldier pierced the Heart of Jesus with a lance. So when every time we look at a Crucifix we see God loves us so much, that He opened His Heart for us on the Cross.

There was a religious sister, by the name of Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque. She appeared to her and showed her His Sacred Heart. Jesus told her, “Look at this Heart which has loved people so much and yet they do not want to love me in return. Through you my divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth.” Jesus showed His Heart surrounded by thorns and said, “Behold this heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to the point of spending itself and being consumed to prove its love to them. And in return, I receive from most men only ingratitude because of their irreverence and sacrileges and the coldness and scorn they have for me in this Sacrament of love.” When Jesus said “Sacrament of Love”, He was referring to the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus explained to St. Margaret Mary that there is ingratitude, which means a lack of thankfulness for His true presence in the Eucharist. Do we thank Jesus when we receive Him in Holy Communion. Jesus also said there is irreverence, which means Jesus is not respected like He should be. When we receive Holy Communion, we should make a sign of reverence before receiving Holy Communion, we are to either bow or head or make the sign of the Cross. When we come to Mass we should carefully genuflect to Jesus who is really and truly present in the tabernacle. We go down on one knee out of respect for Jesus who is here in the church. If we receive Communion in the hand, we should look for particles on our hand and if so we should put the particle in our mouth, because each particle no matter how small is Jesus. If we love Jesus will respect Him in the Eucharist. If we love Jesus, we will thank Jesus when we comes inside us in Holy Communion. If we love Jesus we carefully genuflect when we come inside the church and when we leave the church. If we love Jesus, we will bow our head and pray to Jesus in the tabernacle before Mass starts. Did you know when you receive Holy Communion, your heart is united to the heart of Jesus. In Holy Communion, Jesus gives you His love. Do you tell Jesus, “I love you, when you receive Jesus in Holy Communion?”

When the angel appeared to the children of Fatima, the angel taught the children a prayer. This is the prayer, Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.” The angel wanted the children to make up for the indifference, and terrible sins, which hurt Jesus. And so the children were asked to pray to remember Jesus is really present in the tabernacle.

Francisco, who was one of the children would spend much time coming to the church and praying to Jesus in the tabernacle. He used to say, “I want to console the hidden Jesus.” Francisco knew that just by being with Jesus in the tabernacle and praying to Jesus in the tabernacle, it consoled the Heart of Jesus.

The Virgin Mary at Fatima told the children, whenever they have to do something which is difficult, they were to pray, “O Jesus I do this for love you and for the conversion of sinners.”

From now on, every time you come to church, slowly and respectfully genuflect to Jesus in the tabernacle and pray to Him, who is really there. And when you receive Holy Communion, thank Jesus for coming inside your heart and if you are able come to the church often and pray to Jesus it will console His Heart, especially if you look at the tabernacle and say to Jesus, “I love you”. Every time you look at crucifix it will remind you that Jesus allowed His heart to be pierced with a lance, so that He would show us how much He loves us. And every time we have to something that’s difficult or we don’t want to do it, we can say this little prayer, “O Jesus it is for love of you and for the conversion of sinners, that I do this for you.”