Reflection for June 11 Friday Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: John 19:31-37

Gospel: John 19:31-37

Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.  

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.  

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a young man who said to his beloved, “I will love you until the last gasp of my breath.” The beloved woman was so smitten by his sweet words so she said yes. After a few months the young man left the woman he swore to love for a new beloved. This is who many of us are when we love.  

Many of us love without sacrifice but love without sacrifice is not love it’s simply a vapor that immediately evaporates when confronted by the heat of the sun.    We love for as long as we can get something from the person that we swore to love. And then when we cannot get anything anymore it’s time to move on and find a new one. Hard to believe but this kind of fickle love is true and this is happening. 

But how does Jesus love? He loves until eternity; He loves us no matter our sinfulness and He loves us even if we don’t love Him back. This is the love of Jesus for us, so infinite, so   sacrificial and so profound that we cannot fathom it. This love of Jesus emanates from His Sacred Heart.  

Today is the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, this represents not only the heart of Jesus. This Solemnity is also a showcase of His infinite love for all of us because the heart is a universal symbol of love. We see this great love of Jesus for us in the gospel. He hangs on the cross brutally beaten and lifeless all for His great love for all of us.  

Notwithstanding all the sufferings that He has to endure whenever we sin. Jesus is still full of love and forgiveness for all of us. His love is the kind of love that immediately forgives and a kind of love that does not count the cost of loving.   

How are we going to respond to this infinite love of the Lord? We respond by permanently walking away from sin and by radiating the infinite love of the Lord towards our fellowmen.  Would you permanently walk away from sin and would you radiate the infinite love of Jesus towards your fellowmen? – Marino J. Dasmarinas