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Contemplating today's Gospel

Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (B)
View 1st Reading and Psalm
1st Reading (Hos 11:1b.3-4.8c-9): Thus says the Lord: When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer. My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.
Responsorial Psalm: Is 12
R/. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.

Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, o city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!
2nd Reading (Eph 3:8-12.14-19): Brothers and sisters: To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Versicle before the Gospel (Mt 11:29): Alleluia. Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord; and learn from me, for I am meek and gentle of heart. Alleluia.
Gospel text (Jn 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.

«One soldier thrust his lance into his side»

Fr. Raimondo M. SORGIA Mannai OP (San Domenico di Fiesole, Florencia, Italy)

Today, before our very eyes —or even better, before our interior eyes illuminated by faith— the figure of Christ just died on the Cross is offered to us, with his side pierced by the Centurion's spear. “Immediately blood and water flowed out” (Jn 19,34). What a distressing but at the same time eloquent sight! There is not even the slightest room for doubt: Jesus is 100% dead. What's more, that mysterious “water” which would not have flowed out of a normal healthy body, would indicate, according to modern medicine, that Christ death could be caused by a heart attack or by a “burst heart”, as it would have been described at that time.

Christ therefore has truly died, and He has died either by our sins or by what He desired with most urgency, the cancellation of our sins. “With my death, I have defeated death and have exalted Man to the sublimity of Heaven” (Melito of Sardis). God, who has kept his promise of raising his Son from the dead, will also keep a second promise: He will also raise us from the dead and will seat us at His right hand. He requires of us a small condition though: to believe in Him and to let us be saved by Him. God never imposes himself on anybody at the expense of his human liberty.

About that Man whose heart they wounded: “They will look upon the man whom they have pierced” the Apocalypse also confirms: “Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (Rev 1,7). This is a sacred requirement of the divine justice: even those who have obstinately rejected Him, they will have to recognize the truth in the end. Even the self-idolizing tyrant, the ruthless killer, the arrogant atheist... All of them without exception will be compelled to kneel down before Him, acknowledging Him as the one and only true God. Isn't it better to become friends with Him from now on?

April 21st
Fourth Sunday of Easter (B)

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