Reflection for June 24, 2022

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (C)

Ezekiel 34:11-16 | Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6. | Romans 5:5b-11 | Luke 15:3-7

​The word heart is used over 1000 times in the Scriptures. The wonder of revelation is that God has a great Heart for us. He cares for us a million times more than we would dare believe! This amazing love and devotion for us is demonstrated in today’s Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Today’s readings focus on the love God has for those whom he has called to be in relationship with himself.  

A politician visited a village and asked what their needs were. We have three basic needs sir," the farmer answered, "firstly, the price of crop nutrients like urea, phosphate and potassium have doubled or tripled in the past year alone. Secondly, we're all grappling with surging diesel prices. We’ve never experienced this level of price increase for farm diesel fuel. Our production expenses increase which results in higher prices for rice and corn." Upon hearing this, the politician whipped out his cellphone, and after speaking for a while he reassured the farmer that cheaper fertilizer and farm diesel fuel supplies would be there the next day to bring down the price of rice to  ₱20 per kilo. He then asked about the third problem. "Lastly sir, there is no cellphone coverage anywhere in this village."

God, in our First Reading, uses the prophet Ezekiel  to chastise the leaders of Israel for failing to lead the people rightly in their walk with God. He suggests that they should have been shepherds, caring for his flock, but instead had been looking only to their own interests by clothing and feeding themselves at the expense of the needs of the flock. God promises to take over in caring for the flock since the local shepherds have failed miserably in this task. He will not only lead the flock to their homeland, but will also make sure the flock is well fed and protected from anything that could harm it. 

To demonstrate God’s love, Fr. Dexter, a Franciscan friar, announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on John 3:16. As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the church windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the friar lit a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the pulpit. There was nothing else to say. Jesus died for us and our sins in order that we might realize the great love God has for us. Jesus displayed His love by willingly going to the cross and dying for sinners and those of us who were still His enemies and desperately wicked. 

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul, in order to render the love displayed by God for us in the death of his Son, asks them to think about what it takes for an individual to be willing to lay down one’s life for another. It might be possible for someone to give up life for the sake of a loved one or someone who may be beneficent to us. Yet, Jesus was willing to give up his life while we were sinners–enemies of God. Christ died for the ungodly. In summary, God has embraced us with his love and favor far beyond any measure. And he did it while we were still his enemies. 

In a rather traditional sheep-fold near Ancient Israel, a young boy asked his shepherd father, "Abba, What happened? Why are you carrying the lamb on your shoulders? Did the sheep fall off of a mountain?" The shepherd father replied, “I broke its leg.” “Why did you break its leg? Are you a cruel shepherd?” The boy asked. He said, “No, I broke the sheep’s leg to save the it's life. I love the sheep. But the sheep got to running away from me. And he kept straying out to itself. And I know the nature of sheep. And I know if they stray too far away, the wolf will get them. So I had to break the sheep’s leg to keep it close to me so it remembers my voice, to feed it by hand so it recognizes my scent. And I’ll be so kind to it, that when its leg gets well, it’ll never leave me any more.”

​Do you tend to think of hardships as blessings or curses? When trials come are you inclined to doubt God’s love for you? The Parable of the Lost Sheep in our Gospel features the shepherd who leaves the 99 to go find the one that is missing. He goes after the one sheep who is vulnerable and alone, the one who is lost and in danger of being attacked by a wild animal. When I reflect upon this story I am struck by the description of what the shepherd does when he finds his sheep: "When he has found it, HE LAYS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS and rejoices" (Luke 15:5). But the question is why would the sheep need to ride on the shepherd's shoulders? A wayward sheep is a sheep that wanders from the flock into danger. Often this is a repeated behavior, not a onetime occurrence. If  sheep is wandering away from the flock and away from the care of the shepherd it is headed to a place that could be dangerous and hurtful. The rod and the staff are used to keep them close and safe but sometimes that is not enough. At times the sheep chooses to wander away from the safety and security to a place that is outside the boundaries that will protect them. A shepherd who is gracious might break a sheep’s leg to save the sheep’s life. He will then bind up the broken leg, carry the sheep upon his shoulders and hand feed the sheep. In this way the sheep learns dependence and trust in the shepherd, learns to respond to his voice and develop a relationship that was not being built when when the sheep was wandering. By the time the leg has healed the lamb has learned to stay near the shepherd. Some might regard the shepherd’s actions in bringing suffering into the sheep’s life as cruel. But the shepherd’s "striking and healing" in fact will bring the sheep to "return and listen" (cf. Isaiah 19:22). The reality is that the shepherd is good. The shepherd brings suffering into the sheep’s life in order to preserve the it's life. We are all lost sheep who have been found by our good shepherd. We all have been swept up onto his strong shoulders. God's discipline is not punishment. Nor is His discipline motivated by a desire to inflict pain. Nor is God's discipline from anger. Rather, God's discipline comes from His great love for us. The author of Hebrews teaches," For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child (Hebrews 12:6). Sometimes the medicine must taste bad, but that doesn't change the fact that the physician's motive is mercy. While discipline is sometimes painful, God's purpose in disciplining us is for our own good, our holiness. The ultimate good for a Catholic Christian is to be sanctified, which is to be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. We can expect that there will be times when Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will do the same to us. And we, as shepherds of our children, will need to use discipline to teach them not to stray. Have you experienced a time where it felt like you may have been disciplined in such a way to keep you at the Shepherd’s side so you could be trained, loved on, and restored? God disciplines every one of His children. His motive is love. His practice is perfect. His purpose is our sanctification. His end is His glory. May we learn not to despise His discipline, but to be encouraged by it. <enrique,ofs>