Feast of the Sacred Heart-June 16 2023

Written on: June 15, 2023

Dear Friends,

Soon, we celebrate a great feast, one that is special to us all. Perhaps each of us has our own understanding of what this feast means to us. To all, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus speaks of love, God’s unfathomable love for us and ours for God and for one another. Jesus personified that love for us and gave us countless descriptions, lessons and examples of the deep and unchangeable love God has for us. As we move through life, we grow in our individual understanding of what love is and what love is not through our experiences and we are more astounded about the depth and endurance of God’s compassionate love.

Love is easier to recognize than it is to explain. After reading books and articles about the meaning of love, I find that my understanding of the meaning of this most sacred feast comes from my experiences of loving and being loved by God and by those God sends into my life to be love for me.

Recently, I have been thinking about an encounter I had many years ago when I was visiting Atlanta, Georgia. After expressing my sympathy to Sister Sally White, who had lost a dear friend recently, I asked her thoughts about the death of her friend. Without hesitation, Sr. Sally looked at me and at her crucifix and said,

“I know one thing. When we die, God will ask us only one question:  ‘Did you love me?’”

As life goes on, and days draw us in different directions, perhaps it would center us to remember those profound words: “Do you love me, are you loving me?” Jesus told us in so many ways and demonstrated the essence of love in his crucifixion. How quickly we can lose focus!

Recently, we lost our dear Sister Kathleen Purser. Although her death has brought great sadness, I cannot help but smile when I think of the look on her when God asks that penetrating question – ”Did you love me?”  You can imagine her response!

May Jesus teach us the meaning and depth of love and convince us of God’s enduring and forgiving love for us!  Have a beautiful feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!  May it have new meaning for us all this year!

In God’s love,

Sister Denise Roche, GNSH President

Click here for printable copy: The Feast of the Sacred Heart Letter

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