Homily – July 5, 2025 – Mt 11:25-30 – 14th Week OT
Today’s Gospel is the same Gospel read on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Conference of Catholic Bishops recently consecrated the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a way to honor the 250th milestone for our country. So today I share some brief words, given it is warm in here, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Jesus says, “Come to me … and I will give you rest.” When I was on a pilgrimage in France, we went to Paray-Le-Monial. A small provincial town in central France where Feast Day began in 1671. It was a cold, cloudy, dreary day with rain pouring down. In the midst of this, in a large field, was a huge tent with thousands of people gathered. This was the gathering of the Emmanuel Community, a Catholic movement started in 1975 seeking to help spread the Gospel message and evangelize and grow the Catholic faith. As I walked into the tent, there was a procession of the monstrance with the Eucharist, the very presence of Jesus Christ, being moved from section to section, stopping for several minutes for each section to give reverence, and to offer up their prayers. This would last a couple hours. During this time, I took a seat on the floor right down in front of the sanctuary. The sanctuary and altar were massive with a large picture of Jesus of the Sacred Heart hung behind it. In the sanctuary there were about 40 bishops. During the Eucharistic procession, you could write a petition on a piece of paper and place it in a bowl at the foot of the altar. The bishops would take turns reading the petitions to the congregation. One petition I can clearly remember. A bishop read the petition that said, “I am a priest and I left active ministry because I was discouraged. I am in pain, and I seek to come back. Pray for me.” One of the bishops responded, “Jesus says come to me … and I will give you rest. We are here for you. We are your brother priests, your presbyterate. You are home here. Please, come to us.”
That is what the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is about. Christ is calling us to come home to him. To find rest in his heart. To let our hearts unite with his. We all suffer in many ways and at various times in life. Physical pain. Spiritual pain. Emotional pain. But God came to us in Jesus Christ, His only son. His son in human flesh, like you and me. God gave us Christ to acknowledge our suffering, and for us to bring our suffering to him. What an amazing gift our God gave us in Jesus Christ. This is Christ’s message today and every day, “Come to me …. and I will give you rest.” Amen.