Friday, June 07, 2013 Sacred Heart of Jesus 1st Reading: Ezk 34:11-16 2nd Reading: Rom 5:5-11 Gospel: Luke 15:3-7 Jesus told them this parable, “Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent.” D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience) A story is told of a blond who had her hair turned black so she would no longer be the object of ridicule in the community. Blonds used to be the butt of jokes in the past for being gullible. While driving she pulled over upon noticing a flock of sheep crossing the road. The shepherd was the last one to cross with his dog. She proposed to the shepherd: “If I can guess the number of sheep that had just crossed the road, will you give me one?” When the lady gave the exact number, the shepherd was so amazed at her brilliance that he decided to give her what she wanted. The lady then rushed to the other side of the road to pick her choice and returned to the car lovingly caressing one by her arms. For a few seconds the shepherd was speechless. Finally he told her: “If I can guess the true color of your hair, will you give me back my dog?” By the dumbness of the blond, the shepherd kept the flock intact. There are many sheep in a flock yet a good shepherd will never part even with one. He is even willing to leave the 99 behind to look for a lost one. The bottom line is that a single sheep is precious to a shepherd. When a sheep goes astray, the shepherd goes through lots of sacrifices. He worries not only for the lost one but also for the rest of the flock he has to leave behind. Finding the lost sheep, he has to carry it bodily because a sheep separated from the group will lie down and refuse to move. Imagine the physical exhaustion of the shepherd carrying the lost sheep across plateaus and valleys back to the fold! In looking for a lost sheep, the shepherd suffers mental, emotional and physical exhaustion. The sheep-shepherd relationship is the best comparison Jesus could cite for lack of a better one to describe God’s love for each of us. As we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart today, we look at the many images of Jesus offering his heart to humanity. This is the best imagery for love, for when one gives away his heart he is dead and has nothing more to give. This imagery came alive at the cross where Jesus gave up everything till he had nothing more to give up for love of us. O, what great love! Only the dumb among us will fail to appreciate such love. - Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail. Website: frdan.org. Prayer for the day: God our Father, make us good followers of the good shepherd because no one else loves us more than he does. Grant this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Title: Love beyond compare CHURCH BULLETIN: SAINT OF THE DAY: ST. ROBERT of NEWMINSTER was a monk at Whitby, England, when news arrived that thirteen religious had been expelled from the Abbey of Saint Mary in York, for having proposed to restore the strict Benedictine rule. He at once set out to join them and for two years struggled on in extreme poverty. Eventually, Hugh, Dean of York, joined them with all his wealth. In 1137 Raynulph, Baron of Morpeth, was so edified by the example of the monks at that he built them a monastery in Northumberland, called Newminster, of which Saint Robert became Abbot. He died in 1159.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:30:01 +0000
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