Sacred Heart

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
“I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, God may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner self with power through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.”

I make my own the prayer of Saint Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, a text read on this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the face of the many challenges facing our diocesan Church and our Canadian society these days, it seems to me essential to draw on the divine love of the heart of Jesus to find healing, strength and comfort. We need to know that we are loved unconditionally when we recognize ourselves as weak and sinful, so that we can be for others "salt of the earth and light of the world" in the likeness of our Lord. We will not be able to overcome trials with our own human efforts. From the overflowing heart of God's mercy, we will find the grace to guide us in our Christian action.

On this day of prayer for the sanctification of priests, I keep close to my heart and in a special way these ministers of God who are called to bear witness to their faith, their hope and their love in very difficult and sometimes hostile circumstances. This past week has been particularly heavy because of the suffering, incomprehension, shame and anger experienced by many of the faithful of the Catholic Church in communion with Indigenous peoples who have been severely affected by the residential school experience and the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops residential school. There is a need for solidarity to find the truth together, and thus to seek healing and reconciliation. Let us pray for our priests that they may be agents of peace and instruments of divine mercy as we endeavor to make things right.

Let us also pray for the bishops and Pope Francis that they will be docile to the Holy Spirit and inspired to take concrete actions so the Church may clearly ask for forgiveness for the harm done. The statement published yesterday from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Canada is already a partial answer to our prayers. For the past two years, important consultations with Aboriginal peoples will soon allow a delegation of Aboriginal people to meet with the Holy Father and experience significant moments of dialogue and healing.

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 12th)
Let us not forget tomorrow to call upon the intercession of our Diocesan Patron, the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May we find in our heavenly Mother, a pure loving heart whose only desire is to see us grow strong in Christ.