The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the month of June? Did you know that at the end of the 19th century the Church dedicated the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Pope Leo XIII consecrated the entire human race to the Sacred Heart?
This month we are also likely to hear the oft-recited phrase that “love is love”. And while usually well-intentioned, this statement is limited by our English language, which has only one word for love. However, in the Greek language there are four separate and distinct words used for various types of love, each of them meaning something very different. The one we reflect on today, and the one that is key to the entire Gospel message, is “Agape” love: the total, sacrificial, gift of self. Agape love requires complete and total vulnerability, and is the ultimate love that all other types of love are simply a training ground for. Is there anything more vulnerable than Jesus on the cross?
Today’s Gospel message is a vivid reminder of Jesus’ unconditional love for us as we read of blood and water literally flowing from his pierced side. The blood and water that comes from “the springs of salvation,” as the Psalmist states. Jesus is our spring, and more specifically, His beating heart. Day in and day out He is there for us; vulnerable with arms wide open, waiting for us to reach out. His love has been poured out for us; He’s just waiting on us to accept it.
In reflecting on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I came across the consecration prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII. It is worth sharing here. I invite you to pray this prayer today, meditating on the words and how relevant they still are today over 100 years later. In a world seemingly grown cold, the warmth of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is exactly what we need.
Nick Balser is a husband, father, finance professional and Texan living in Denver, CO. Nick works for Undivided Life, an organization aiming to bring life to work and work to life through strategy and culture consulting and small business ownership. You can check out their website and find them on LinkedIn.