In his homily, Father Jim reflects on the greatest commandment given by Jesus: to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. He emphasizes that these two commands are inseparable; we cannot truly love God without also loving our neighbor, and vice versa. Father Jim then delves into the idea of loving God with our whole heart, exploring the challenges we face in achieving wholehearted love due to our fragmented human nature. He highlights Pope Francis’ recent encyclical, Delict Nos, which invites us to rediscover the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a model for wholehearted love. Through prayer and meditation on the Sacred Heart, we can deepen our capacity to love both God and others, as Jesus did. The devotion to the Sacred Heart calls us to a dual commitment: a personal spiritual journey with God and a compassionate mission to love humanity. Father Jim encourages us to embrace this path to strengthen our love for both God and our neighbors.
Journal and reflect on the following
What does it mean to love both God and our neighbor, and why do you think Jesus asks us to do both?
Father Jim talked about loving with our 'whole heart.' Can you think of a time when you loved or cared about something with all your heart? How did it feel?
How do you think we can show love to God in our daily lives? What are some small actions you could take?
Why do you think it's sometimes hard to love others wholeheartedly, even when we want to?
Pope Francis encourages us to think about Jesus' Sacred Heart, a heart that loved deeply even when it hurt. How can remembering Jesus’ love help us to be kinder and more loving to the people around us?
Discuss
Song - Cody Carnes - Run To The Father
Closing Prayer
Loving God, we thank You for Father Jim’s words, reminding us of Jesus' call to love You with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Like Father Jim, encourage too seek counselling when we need to in our life. Encourage us to share the struggles in our heart with those uncles, aunties and friends who are wiser. Help us to grow in wholehearted love, free from distraction and fragmentation, so we may be true reflections of Your compassion. Guide us to seek the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our model, that we may be transformed by His love and become instruments of peace and kindness in the world. May our love for You lead us to serve others with humility and grace, united in faith and purpose. Amen.
