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INTENTION : |
THAT THE WORLD MIGHT GROW IN COMPASSION.
Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.
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FOCUS
The Heart of Jesus has a long history. From the "pierced heart of Jesus" in the Gospel of St. John - interpreted in medieval mysticism as a wound that manifests the deepness of His love - passing through the revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century and the later devotion to the Sacred Heart in the 19th century, arriving at the Divine Mercy devotion with St. Faustina Kowalska at the beginning of the 20th century. Pope Pius XII even wrote an encyclical about the Sacred Heart, Haurietis Aquas (1956). Throughout history, there have been various inculturations of this devotion, with various forms and terminology, but always as a means for the Father to reveal the mystery of His Love to us in all its depth, through a privileged symbol: the living heart of His Risen Son. After all, "the Heart of Christ is the centre of mercy," says Pope Francis.
The Jubilee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus concludes with Pope Francis' prayer intention for June 2025, focusing on growing in compassion for the world through a personal relationship with Jesus. It reflects a deep desire to foster deeper love and solidarity towards others, inspired by the Heart of Jesus. Pope Francis emphasises the importance of cultivating an intimate relationship with Jesus, to align our hearts with His and grow in love and mercy. In the face of so many challenges for humanity, so much suffering in the world, a personal relationship with Jesus, close to His Heart, can give us comfort in our own sufferings and move us to have compassion for others. For it is by looking to the Heart of Jesus as the supreme model of love and compassion that we can learn compassion. Jesus showed unconditional love towards all, especially the marginalized and suffering. Pope Francis encourages us to imitate this compassionate love in our own lives, reaching out to those in need.
In a world marked by suffering, injustice, and division, compassion inspired by the Heart of Jesus is crucial for healing wounds and building bridges. Francis calls us to be instruments of comfort and hope, bringing relief to those who suffer and working for justice and peace. Compassion is a response to the challenges of the world.
The month of June, the month of the Heart of Jesus, is dedicated to asking for the grace to grow in compassion for the world. The Jubilee of the Heart of Jesus, in Paray-le-Monial, whose theme is "love for love", will conclude in June 2025. This theme reminds us that by experiencing the unconditional love of Jesus, we are called to respond with equally generous love towards God and our neighbors. Making ourselves available for a mission of compassion for the world, towards a more just and fraternal society, is our response. Compassion is not just a feeling; it is an action that seeks to alleviate suffering and promote human dignity. With this prayer intention, Pope Francis exhorts us to translate our compassion into concrete actions that address the roots of poverty, inequality, and exclusion, thereby contributing to the building of a more just and caring world.
ATTITUDES FOR DAILY LIFE
Strengthening our relationship with Jesus
"It is also an invitation for us to give each other the wonder that arises in the heart when one encounters the Lord. Before meeting Him, the two companions (from Emmaus) spoke of failures and disappointments; afterwards, they rejoiced at having seen the Risen One!" (Pope Francis).
Do you dedicate enough time to your relationship with Jesus? Only in the Heart of the One who loves you like no one else will you find the answers to all your questions, and be able to radiate joy around you.
Praying with the Gospel
"This, then, is the first invitation: to know the Heart of Jesus by meditating on the Gospel... to contemplate in it the charity with which the Savior allowed Himself to be touched by all poverties, happy to pour out the tenderness and compassion of His Heart upon the little ones and the poor, those who suffer, sinners, and all the miseries of humanity." (Pope Francis).
What do you use to nourish your prayer? Only He has the Word that can fully comfort you. Know deeply and receive the tenderness of Christ's heart by praying with the Gospel, so that you can share it with those Jesus entrusts to you.
Opening our hearts to Him
"May the irresistible tenderness of the Sacred Heart shape, modify, and even disrupt, if necessary, your plans and projects. Please, do not be afraid of tenderness!" (Pope Francis).
Do you open your heart to Jesus with trust? Do you feel afraid of His invitations? Do not fear His tenderness only desires what will make you and those He entrusts to you truly happy.
Abiding in Him
"God is like this: close, compassionate, tender. Be like this with others. But this closeness, this compassion, this tenderness you will receive in dialogue with Jesus. Prayer is very important for this to happen. Without prayer, things do not work, they do not go." (Pope Francis).
Spend time with Jesus to know Him deeply, to love Him more, and to follow Him. What can you adjust in your schedule to be with Jesus in prayer? The Love you seek will be found in His compassionate Heart.
Cultivating Compassion
The poor, the migrants, the many miseries and injustices that continue to renew themselves in the world urgently challenge us. In the face of them, do not be afraid to let yourselves be caught by the compassion of the Heart of Christ... Let Him love through you and manifest His mercy through your kindness." (Pope Francis).
What concrete gestures of love can you show to the people you share your daily life with? Think about those you should love more. The Compassion He gives you in this jubilee of His Heart is meant to be shared.
Wherever there is sorrow, wherever there is suffering, wherever there is difficulty, the Heart of Jesus is always there first. No one is alone. Pope Francis' message aims to remind us that there is a path that helps everyone who needs it; a path that connects us with this Heart of Jesus, with its style and actions, and which can lead people to incarnate in their lives a mission of compassion for the world. He exhorts us to try this way of the heart because it is ready to welcome "all of us into the revolution of tenderness."
MONTHLY PRAYER
Lord,
I come to Your tender Heart today,
to You Who have words that set my heart ablaze,
Who pour out compassion on the little ones and the poor,
those who suffer, and on all human miseries.
I desire to know You more, to contemplate You in the Gospel,
to be with You and learn from You,
from the charity with which
You allowed Yourself to be touched by all forms of poverty.
You showed us the Father's love
by loving us without measure with Your divine and human Heart.
Grant all Your children the grace of encountering You,
to change, shape, and transform our plans,
so that we seek only You in every circumstance,
in prayer, in work, in encounters, and in our daily routine.
Be for us a source from which all consolation flows.
Amen.
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