JUNE - THE MONTH OF LOVE AND MERCY
We ended the holy Easter season with the magnificent feast of the Holy Spirit, and then we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. In June we will continue to celebrate two more beautiful feasts of the Lord – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (12th June). These feasts are solemnly celebrated in the liturgical life of the Church, and they help us catch a glimpse more deeply into the nature of God’s love and mercy for us.
This Sunday’s readings, they all refer to sacrifices, from the Old Testament sacrifice of animals with their blood sprinkled on the people to the New Testament sacrifice of Jesus himself, pouring out his body and blood on the altar of the cross for humankind. Jesus puts his words into action, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). The giving of himself in the Eucharist, his dying and death on the cross are the climatic expressions of God’s saving love. God stripped Himself of everything, even not sparing the life of his only Son. Such nakedness of God’s love reveals the depth of how desperately God loves us. Any love would desire a response. Does God find a response from us?
The heart is believed to be the place of one’s deepest love and identity. In the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are mindfully celebrating God’s love and identity,that is nothing but love and mercy. St John succinctly captures “God is love” (1Jn 4:8,16). Despite our sinfulness and wickedness, God’s love and mercy remain greater. “For his mercy endures forever” (Ps 136).
God in his almighty power and knowledge cannot think of a better way to express his love for us than to turn himself into our hand as a life giving gift for humanity. We are in turn challenged to be a eucharistic people for others – life giving loving and merciful people.
The Holy Year of Mercy 2015 reminds us “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk 6:36).
Fr John Quang, svd.
On the solemn feasts of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.