Homily: June 27, 2025, MSolemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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 “As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.”

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. And yet, if we look closely at the readings, we don’t see any explicit reference to the heart of Jesus. However, in the second reading, we read about the love of God through Jesus and in the first reading and Gospel, we are given a clear description of the love of a good shepherd for his own sheep.

The good shepherd in these texts refer to Jesus, so what we celebrate today, is the loving, self-giving heart of Jesus, our good and true shepherd. We celebrate His unwavering protection, dedicated care and sacrificial love for us, His flock.

Sheep are vulnerable, they do not have any sense of direction, totally cannot protect themselves or each other, but quite amazingly, they respond to the voice and instructions of their shepherd. They cannot survive on their own, they need their shepherd.

So, the good shepherd watches over them, leads them, guards their safety and even risks his life to defend them. A good shepherd knows his sheep, calls them each by name, and brings them to safe pastures to graze. The sheep follow their shepherd obediently.

When Jesus makes references to the sheep and shepherd, it may seem distant to us but for the Jewish people then, those images came to life easily and concretely. They could immediately identify with the shepherds they were familiar with in the scriptures: Abel, Abraham, Moses, David and Amos.

They were the good, the faithful, the courageous shepherds in Jewish history. So, when Jesus proclaimed himself the Good Shepherd, the people understood.

If Jesus is our good shepherd, are we His good sheep?

The Sacred Heart of Jesus loves us truly and yearns for us to love Him too, because that is the only way for us to be safe from the snares of the world. His heart burns with a desire to bring us safely back to Him, to protect us from hidden dangers, and to save us from our own poor direction and foolish decisions.

If only we can see how lost and vulnerable we really are, and how much we need Jesus to help us navigate through life. That is why he said to his disciples: “Without me, you can do nothing.” He sees and He knows.

On this solemnity, let us gaze upon the pierced heart of Jesus and entrust our entire life to him. With confidence and total surrender, we say: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I love and adore you. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, never let me stray from you, let me always listen to your voice. Amen.


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