June 12, 2026
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
“Heart Speaks to Heart”
My dear People of God,
On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I could turn to many sources to examine the rich significance of this Catholic devotion. I think of the encyclical of Pope Pius XII, Haurietis Aquas [Athirst for the Waters] (May 15th, 1956), written to commemorate the centennial of the feast’s institution, or Annum Sacrum [the Holy Year] (May 25th, 1899) of Pope Leo XIII which spoke of consecrating the human race to the Sacred Heart. We could also stretch back to St. Bonaventure’s (1217-1274) Lignum Vitae or St. John Eudes who wrote the prayers for the first office honoring the Sacred Heart, for which reason Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary."
The Church is not at a loss listing the great saints who contributed to our understanding of God’s immense love and mercy, manifested in the Sacred Heart: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in her Autobiography; St. Claude de la Colombière who was St. Margaret Mary’s confessor; St. Francis de Sales who inspired the devotion in his writings. It is a real challenge to list them all. God has, furthermore, placed us in 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The Bishops of our country have chosen to consecrate this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I am privileged to be your Bishop at this time and to share with you some thoughts on this important moment.
First, we must acknowledge that the “Heart” is the seat of love and mercy. Just as without a heart we die and with a heart our body is nourished with rich blood to sustain life, so we embrace the “heart” as a symbol of all that is good, genuine, sincere, and loving. In one of her visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which occurred from 1673 to 1675, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque reported that our Lord, pointing to His heart, declared: “Behold the Heart which has so loved man that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself in order to testify its love.” We could quote many reflections and meditations from our Catholic tradition to underline the importance of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, but let us turn to the Sacred Scriptures.
Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, is the living embodiment of God’s love and mercy. He not only preaches a Gospel of love but also practices that love. This love and mercy are not permissive (cf. John 8:11; Matthew 22:11-13) but prodigal (cf. Luke 10:25-37). Love manifests itself flowing from the Heart of Christ to the end (cf. John 13:1). We see this most especially at Calvary.
Before breathing His last, Jesus Christ forgives one of the criminals crucified with Him (cf. Luke 23:39-43). Tradition calls him St. Dismas. Bishop Sheen has a beautiful reflection on the Crucifixion in which he points out, citing ancient Roman sources, that those being crucified frequently cursed and blasphemed, displaying vehement anger at their fate. Here, however, at Calvary we find our Lord serenely submitting to the Father’s Will, making the ultimate sacrifice (cf. John 15:13), and a “good thief” making a request. In this sacrifice, Jesus Christ gives His life as a ransom for many (cf. Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). At this critical moment, St. Dismas is to become a recipient of this mercy and cries out, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The Heart of our Lord opens to him and says, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
To emphasize further this Heart of mercy, in the subsequent Gospel of St. John, we read of the Roman soldier opening the side of Christ with a lance (cf. John 19:34). From that open womb flows blood and water, which we see as the Sacramental life of the Church flowing from the Heart of Christ. The beloved disciple finds the episode so significant that he adds this reflection immediately following: “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” (John 19:35).
Indeed, any of those who basked in the sunshine of the Lord’s heartfelt mercy could testify to this, from the woman caught in adultery (cf. John 8) to the paralytic (cf. Mathew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). The Gospels show not only a heartfelt love manifested in forgiveness but also in friendship, as when Jesus raises Lazarus, His friend, from the dead (cf. John 11:38-44) and even in loving response to the tragic death of an only son of the widow from Naim (cf. Luke 7:11-17). The Gospels are filled with such examples because these come from the source of God’s love and mercy, His Heart, the Heart of a Son, whose intention it is to redeem. How can we fail to embrace this Heart of mercy?
The modern world is filled with cynicism. I think it is this distrust, rooted in a distortion of human motive, that prompts us to ignore the Heart of Christ. The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus contradicts our acceptance of selfishness and self-interest as the motive for human behavior. Some simply cannot believe that God could love them. Some others deny God because He stands in opposition to their distorted view of the world. Still others find the sins of other Christian men and women, even the failings of those in Church leadership, as reason to reject the entire Christian message, regardless of the truth and goodness that message conveys. We must beware of this cynical, spiritual suicide.
To paraphrase Pope St. Paul VI, only faith tells us who we are and what we are called to be. This faith opens itself constantly to the Heart of Christ. There we find forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. God made us that we might live with Him for all eternity, and that eternal life begins now with our participation in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, manifested through His open Heart.
It is my prayer, and I would hope yours as well, that we heed this message. The Consecration of our Nation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is an important moment to bring about conversion. This conversion will not be dramatic. It will occur all in good time, in the way that God intends. We must not be discouraged but rather optimistic that the Heart of Christ will prevail. We see signs of it already, in the renewal of family life, in the numerous conversions of youth to the Faith, in the lives of the martyrs, in the often-heroic witness to the truth by opposing falsehood, and in sobering lives of faith and reason that contradict the folly of the world.
Let us be hopeful. The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus would have us be so, as I remain
Devotedly yours in the Sacred Heart,
