The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Year A)
Sacred Heart
First READING. Deuteronomy 7:6-11
RESPONSORIAL PSALM. Ps 103:1-2, 3-4,8,10. R. The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
SECOND READING. 1 John 4:7-16
ALLELUIA. Matt 11:29ab. Alleluia, alleluia! Take my yoke upon you; learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. Alleluia! (Mt 11:29)
GOSPEL Matthew 11:25-30
Image: Photo. Sacre Coeur, Paris, France. By Stephanie LeBlanc on Unsplash.
Please listen to the audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Sacred Heart - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/weekday-faith-hope-and-love-the-solemnity-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-year-a-2023
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
{{May Our Lord's gift of hope encourage you. On this special (Solemnity of the) Sacred Heart of Jesus. who can fathom the endless depths of God's love for us… Our Lord's Sacred Heart burns with compassion and mercy for the world.}}
Coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pause and reflect upon our sins, in order to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
· LORD JESUS, YOUR SACRED HEART DESIRES TO RESCUE OUR SOULS FROM DEATH AND KEEP US ALIVE IN FAMINE. LORD HAVE MERCY.
· YOUR SACRED HEART, WOUNDED FOR OUR SINS, OVERFLOWS WITH COMPASSION FOR US. CHRIST HAVE MERCY.
· THE DESIGNS OF YOUR HEART STAND FIRM FROM AGE TO AGE. LORD HAVE MERCY.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Of the Most sacred heart
Euch .Prayer: I
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{ thanks everyone for this time of prayer and reflection - .}
Dismissal:
*(special for feast): ….
or: Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)
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Prologue: The devotion to the Sacred Heart is one of the most widely practiced and well known Catholic devotions, taking Jesus Christ's physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity, a love that flows out from an endless source... and which suffered for us, to save us...
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HOMILY:
Devotion to the sacred heart was part of the spirituality of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (twelfth century), and Saint Bonaventure, and St. Gertrude the Great (thirteenth c).
The beginnings of a devotion toward the love of God as symbolized by the heart of Jesus are found even in the fathers of the Church, including Origen, SaintS Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Hippolytus, Irenaeus, AND Justin Martyr. Also, Saint Cyprian, used John 7:37-39 ("Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me), as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" and John 19:33-37. (one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water),
And also, the devotion of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque:
This feast is also a time of prayer for the sanctification of Priests, to more closely follow the heart of Jesus
devotion to the Sacred Heart went a long way in breaking down the resistance of the Jansenists, who saw God as a vindictive judge and were reluctant to receive Communion more than once a year.
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"The Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure." In other words, the purpose of devotion to the Sacred Heart is to renew the effects of redemption in our souls,
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St. Margaret Mary in the Office of Readings: "This divine heart is an immeasurable depth of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs.
It is an bottomless extent of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an endless depth of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an eternal wellspring of love to meet our every need."
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Second Reading
A letter by St Margaret Mary Alacoque
We must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge
From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.
But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.
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St Bonaventure
With you is the source of life
the soldiers opened his sacred side with a spear, so that blood with water might flow out to pay the price of our salvation. This blood, which flowed from its source in the secret recesses of his heart, gave the sacraments of the Church power to confer the life of grace, and for those who already live in Christ was a draught of living water welling up to eternal life.
Arise, then, bride of Christ, .......... place your lips there to draw water from the wells of your Saviour. For this is the spring flowing from the middle of paradise; it divides and becomes four rivers, then spreads through all devout hearts, and waters the whole world and makes it fruitful.
O soul devoted to God, whoever you may be, run to this source of life and light with eager longing. And with the power of your inmost heart cry out to him: 'O indescribable beauty of God most high! O pure radiance of everlasting light! O life that gives life to all life! O light that illuminates every light, ...... ..........
'O water eternal and inaccessible, clear and sweet, flowing from the spring that is hidden from the eyes of all mortal men; the spring whose depths cannot be plumbed, whose height cannot be measured, whose shores cannot be charted, whose purity cannot be muddied.'
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Sacred_Heart
Image: Photo. Sacre Coeur, Paris, France. By Stephanie LeBlanc on Unsplash.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria. Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
[ Production - KER - 2023]
May God bless and keep you.
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