Suffering? Join It To the Cross of Christ

Today is the feast of the Sacred Heart. It offers an invitation to each of us to look on our sufferings as fuel. The heart of Christ is a burning furnace of charity. We can place the logs of our sufferings in that furnace and watch them burst into flame creating embers mixed with the glowing embers of Christ's love. 

Remember St. Paul's admonition in Romans 12:20 to heap burning coals on the heads of our enemies, the burning coals of conversion. Let us never miss an opportunity to love our neighbor with both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

ALERT! Roe v. Wade Overturned! Tighten Your Seatbelts; the Satanic Forces Will Be Raging....

Roe v. Wade: overturned on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May graces of conversion pour out on all those filled with hate and rage. May they fall into the arms of Jesus.

Roe v. Wade fell today heralding a new stage in the battle against abortion. The field of battle returns to the states where once again we will have slave states where the babies are the property of their mothers and free states where the baby will be recognized as an independent person with rights. 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us!

I can't let this Feast of the Sacred Heart end without praising and thanking God for using St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to reveal to us the intimate love He has for each one of us. I think of little Francisco of Fatima wrapping his arms around the tabernacle and lamenting, "Love is not loved!"

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Let Us Pray the LItany to the Sacred Heart!

We certainly need God's mercy!

Reflecting on the Upcoming Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Scourging by Rubens

While I was on retreat, I kept thinking about Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. The third week of the Spiritual Exercises consists of meditating on Jesus' suffering and death. As I was reflecting on the events of the passion, I kept seeing images from the movie. The slow motion scene of Veronica ministering to Christ especially came to mind because I was also reading Cardinal Sarah's The Power of Silence. There was Veronica in the midst of all that turmoil and chaos perfectly silent and at peace as she reached out to Christ in love and compassion. The Roman soldiers didn't exist for her at that moment. It was as if she lived in another dimension of silence, her eyes and whole attention focused on the face of Christ. Yes, true internal silence can reign in our hearts in the midst of exterior tumult!

Yesterday someone sent me a powerful video interview with Jim Caviezel, the actor who portrayed Christ in the film. That movie was a life changing event for so many. I think I will watch it again on the Feast of the Sacred Heart this Friday. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart make my heart like unto Thine. Make me, in the words of St. Teresa of Avila, a "burning furnace of charity."

On the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus....

....why not learn more about the extent of His love for you by studying the Shroud of Turin. Jesus shed every drop of His blood for you. What will you do for Him?

My brother has a five-part lecture series on the Shroud at Shroud University. Check it out.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

What a good day to place your head on the chest of Jesus like John the Beloved did at the Last Supper.

Just rest there and listen to the beating of Christ's Heart. How much He loves you.

Think of how He suffered to atone for your sins. At every heartbeat, the thorns pierced Him -- and all for love of you.

Remember the words of Francisco, "Love is not loved." Don't let that be the case with you today. Embrace the feet of Jesus like Mary Magdalene and beg for His outpouring of grace on your life.

"O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine."