Peace be with you and your ohana on this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
What a blessed day to celebrate the loving, compassionate heart of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
My religious Congregation, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary, celebrates this great feast every year as one of our major days of prayer and adoration. It is a time to remember what the Lord has done for us and how he has shown us the way to a more compassionate and loving world.
I wish you a very blessed and holy day as we pray for our priests, the victims of COVID-19 and our African-American brothers and sisters on this Juneteenth!
Scripture today has words of faith, hope and love, mercy and compassion, and rest!
Scripture:
“You are a people sacred to the Lord, your God. Understand, then, that the Lord, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7)
“The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him. Merciful and gracious is the Lord.” (Psalm 103)
“Let us love one another, because love is of God. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” (1 John 4)
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11)
A Personal Reflection from Fr. Brian:
Sometimes we need to rest from this world! It is just too much for us to take! We need to answer the question in the Southwest Airlines commercial, “Wanna get away?”
When life becomes too burdensome and we feel overwhelmed, that is exactly the moment when God speaks to us. That is the exact moment of revelation, of enlightenment!
How do I handle this moment? Do I escape it or do I embrace it?
It’s like the song sung by Lee Ann Womack, “I Hope You Dance”, whose lyrics read, “And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance!”
Carpe Diem! With the love of Christ with us, nothing can be against us! We can place our burdens with the Lord and know that He can lighten our load and unburden us with His love! Amen!
Blessings, pono and pule!
Fr. Brian Guerrini, ss.cc.
Priest
Molokai