27 June 2025 (Friday)
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ‐ Solemnity.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Solemnity.
Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:
First Reading : Ezekiel 34:11‐16
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.
Responsive Psalm : Psalm 22(23)
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Second Reading : Romans 5:5‐11
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.
Gospel : Luke 15:3‐7
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.’
For our reflection today:
Those who love are concerned about the one who is missing, they long for the one who is absent, they seek the one who is lost, they await the one who has gone astray. For they want no one to be lost. Brothers and sisters, God is like this: he does not “rest easy” if we stray from him, he is grieved, he trembles in his innermost being; and he sets out to look for us, until he takes us back into his arms. The Lord does not calculate losses and risks. He has the heart of a father and a mother, and suffers for the lack of his beloved children. “But why does he suffer if this son is a scoundrel, if he has gone?” He suffers, he suffers. God suffers for our distance and when we go astray, he awaits our return. Let us remember: God always awaits us with open arms, whatever the situation in life in which we are lost may be. As a Psalm says, he will neither slumber nor sleep, he always watches over us. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 11 September 2022)
No comments:
Post a Comment