Sunday Reflection
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 2026
In the 2nd Reading of today’s Mass we come upon what is one of the most profound statements in the Scriptures; “God is Love” (1 John 4:8).
God’s love for us is beyond our understanding but it has been expressed for us through the Incarnation when Jesus, the Son of God, became human – took on our nature – claimed the same senses and sensitivities that we have. And while our emotions are taken to abide in our hearts and minds, the emotions of Jesus are expressed and symbolised for us by His Most Sacred Heart.
We may wonder and ask ‘how can we return such love?’ We can’t! It is just not possible for us, mere mortals, to return such love. But Saint John tells us that ‘since God loved us so much, we too, should love one another’. And still we struggle to satisfy our longing to reciprocate such love. But Saint Paul assures us; he prays “that we be filled with the fullness of God” (Eph 3:19) – filled with the fullness of God means being filled with Love and then we will have the strength and grace to love one another in the way that God loves us.
In the Gospel today there is also something very profound; “Come to me ..... you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28-30) Isn’t this what we call Prayer, our relationship with God? The very essence of Prayer is coming into the presence of God, being aware of God’s presence, being embraced by the Lord, being at ease and finding ‘rest’.
In the Gospel on Sunday next we read of the call of the Apostles by Jesus. Of the twelve Apostles only one survived martyrdom to live to ‘old age’. Saint John may have been given to us as a model for the elderly. Our abiding image of John and his relationship with the Lord is of him, at the Last Supper, resting on the Master’s breast! Come to me and find rest! An image to inspire and give us hope!
Saint Augustine seems to have understood the concept of Rest in his relationship with the Lord; “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you”. There is no need for words or props when we realise the Presence of the Lord and the Rest and comfort which it brings.
Traditionally we have prayed with fervour the beautiful.
‘O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore
that we may love Thee daily more and more”.
We might do well to pray also:
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus we implore
that we might understand how you love us, daily more and more”!
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026
Exodus 19:1-6
Romans 5:6-11
Matthew 9:36 – 10:8
Today’s Gospel reading is the lead-in to the second of the great sermons of Jesus on the Mountain (the 1st was the Beatitudes). Jesus is presenting here a programme for living as His disciples. It is a programme that presents challenges, warnings, assurances and rewards for those who follow the Lord. Disciples are “those who hear the Word of God and do it” (Luke 11:28). But now that Jesus begins the work of building up the Kingdom of God he wishes for some of his disciples to develop, to grow from ‘disciple’ to ‘apostle’. These Apostles would be teachers, leaders and builders of the Kingdom of God.
The first thing we learn about disciples and apostles is that they are called – and that they respond to the call of the Lord. We notice too, that the Apostles are from many different backgrounds, they are ordinary folk with diverse talents. As we read through the Gospels, we find them playing different parts in the establishment of the early Church and that some of them are almost anonymous. We know that all of them, except one, suffered martyrdom so that the seeds of God’s Kingdom would be sown. Saint John, the only one of the apostles to live out his natural life became a model for disciples who live to ‘old age’. Yes, the Apostles may have many things in common but they are each unique in the world and in the eyes of God.
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