Sacred Heart
Ezekiel 34:11-16 / Psalm 22:1-6 / Romans 5:5-11 / Luke 15:3-7
The heart denotes the center of a person’s physical, emotional, and moral life. It is the seat of love, compassion, and mercy. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, therefore, is the supreme symbol of divine love, an infinite, unchanging, and saving love.
The heart of Jesus does not hate; it heals. It does not condemn; it consoles. It is a heart burning with unconditional love, longing for our return. The Sacred Heart invites us into a mutual exchange of love.
In the first reading, from Ezekiel 34:11–16, God reveals the shepherd-like nature of His heart. He says, “I myself will search for my sheep, and I will seek them out… I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” This is not just shepherd language; it is heart language. It shows a God whose love is active, searching, and healing.
Here, divine mercy does not cancel divine justice but flows from a heart that prefers restoration over destruction. God does not discard the lost, He pursues them with a heart full of mercy. Hence, he leaves the ninety-nine in search of the one lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7).
What kind of heart do we have? In a world driven by hatred, revenge, and violence, humanity is bleeding from heartlessness. To be heartless is to be godless. A heart without mercy is a soul in rebellion against love. Jesus says, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart”* (Matt. 11:29). Until our hearts are softened by compassion and shaped by humility, we will remain restless.
That is why this feast is not sentimental, it is radical. It calls us to a new heart. As Ezekiel prophesied, “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The Sacred Heart is the model of this transformation: wounded but still loving, pierced but still giving.
Let us pray:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
