You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. — Isaiah 12:3

Mass readings: Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9 / Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19 / John 19:31-37 

A Heart of Gold 

Most of us know of only one or two people in our lives whose hearts exemplify that same preciousness we see in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Maybe it’s a mother or a dear grandfather — or a child you have known. 

It was in the year 1673 that Jesus appeared to a French nun, St. Margaret Mary, showed His heart, and gave her the message that people should focus on His love. In today’s first reading from Hosea, we see the kind of loving heart Jesus was referring to: “I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like those who raise an infant to their cheeks.” What an image! Devotion to the Sacred Heart will always be needed to counteract the push to turn creation into cold science. 

Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach me to love Your ways.