Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 27, 2025 Friday within the 12th week in Ordinary Time: Year C Solemnity of the Most Sacred of Jesus Luke 15: 3-7 There is something unspeakably tender in this short parable—the image of a shepherd leaving ninety-nine to search for one. Not because the one is better. Not because the one deserves it. But simply because the one is loved. This is not the logic of the world, but the logic of the Heart of Jesus—the Sacred Heart that beats with mercy, longing, and relentless love. On this feast, we do not just celebrate a doctrine—we celebrate a Person: Jesus, whose heart still burns for the lost, still breaks for the wounded, and still rejoices when even one soul turns back to Him. When we hear this Gospel on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, it’s as if heaven is whispering to each of us, “You are that one sheep.” We who have strayed in big ways or small, we who sometimes feel unworthy, unseen, or forgotten—He has not forgotten us. He comes not with condemnation, but with compassion. He lifts us not with scolding, but with joy. Can you imagine it? God rejoicing—celebrating—over you? That’s the kind of love His Heart holds: personal, passionate, and patient. A love that would suffer, bleed, and be pierced—just to carry you home. The Sacred Heart is not a symbol of comfort alone—it is a call. A call to trust that no matter how far we wander, His mercy is greater. A call to let ourselves be found, to stop hiding behind shame, fear, or pride. And perhaps even more, a call to love like Him—to be the ones who seek out the hurting, carry the weak, and rejoice not in perfection, but in repentance. Today, as we gaze upon His wounded Heart, may we feel the ache of His love and hear Him whisper: “I see you. I’ve come for you. And I will never stop loving you.” Blessings Fr. Jhack