June 23, 2017Friday
Sacred Heart of Jesus
1st Reading: Dt 7:6–11 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 4:7–16Gospel: Mt 11:25–30
On one occasion Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
“Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.“Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Solemnity of the Sacred Heart takes us to the core of our belief about God’s love for sinners. I had a friend who said that since Jesus loves sinners he should just remain a sinner to continue enjoying God’s love. Wow, what a skewed manner of reasoning! Let’s put it this way: Doctors feel sad when there are no patients. But this doesn’t mean they are praying for more people to get sick. The goal of every doctor is to bring patients back to health. Similarly, Jesus loves sinners but he does not want them to remain sinners all their lives. The very reason why Jesus prioritizes sinners over those who have no need to repent is his desire to keep his flock intact with no member staying outside the fold. While his love is specific to every errant member of the flock, his love for sinners is at the service of the totality of the flock that Jesus wants to keep intact.
Another reason why a sinner cannot keep on sinning in order to continue enjoying God’s preferential option is that while Jesus loves sinners he hates sin. Because of this a sinner who insists on sinning clips God’s hands and disables all mechanisms of salvation God has put in place. Blame this on God’s respect for human freedom. When a person shields himself behind the armor of freedom, God backs off.
A sinner who continues sinning thinking that it is his privilege card at the express lane of salvation is clever. But we see no imprimatur of the heart in there. His concern is self gain, not God’s reign. To say the least, he is a user. Relationship is not in the opportunist’s vocabulary because he thinks he is the center of the world and he does not need to relate to anybody. But spirituality is all about relationship with God and fellowmen. Our core belief in God’s love for sinners is centered on the heart. Only with the heart can we genuinely respond to God’s love. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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