Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

If you want to know more about the background of today's feast you can go here. In general, we can sum it up by saying that the focus of today's feast is the merciful love of God. Today's Mass readings ask us to consider the love Christ has for us in giving his life to save us; we need to remember how his love in turn obligates us to love one another.

The pastor of the parish when I attend daily Mass recently tapped me to help lector during the week. One of the regular readers has developed vision problems and is no longer able to serve as a weekday lector; since I'm there every morning, Father asked me if I would be willing to read a couple of days a week. Today was my turn, so this morning I got to read this wonderful passage from the First Letter of John:

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him.

It's no secret that I'm no fan of public speaking, so my first few times lectoring resulted in the pastor telling me after Mass that I need to slow down. :) I've discovered the key for me is not to look up but to keep my eyes on the lectionary; otherwise, I see all those people watching me, get really nervous, and start speeding up. But I guess the fact that I love Johnnine scriptures was working in my favor today. One woman who comes to Mass most days usually brings her two youngest sons with her once school is out. They're in their early teens -- maybe 13 or 14. After Mass this morning, one of the boys walked over to me and said, "You're a good reader. I liked hearing that second one a lot. My mom said I should tell you that you did a good job."