(LifeSiteNews) — Preaching on the feast of the Sacred Heart, Cardinal Burke commented how Christ’s love for mankind “is a participation in the divine love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
The Church’s celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart invites Catholics “to reflect upon the spousal nature of the love of God for us as it is most perfectly represented in the glorious pierced heart of Jesus.” Such were the opening comments of Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke during his homily for First Vespers of today’s feast.
Cardinal Burke’s homily from 1st Vespers of the Sacred Heart tonight, starting also a wknd of liturgical celebrations for his 50th anniversary of ordination.
He comments on the Sacred Heart, his anniversary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and priestly vocations.
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“The love of Jesus for the Church is like the love of a bridegroom for his bride, pure, faithful and enduring,” he added. This ancient devotion to Christ has been “recognized in every age,” and similarly constant is the love of Christ for men: “from the moment of the incarnation, his most Sacred Heart has never ceased to beat with divine love for men, even as it continues to do so today and, according to his promise, will do so until the consummation of his love for us on the last day.”
Celebrating the feast at his Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin, Burke is presiding over a long weekend of liturgical celebrations not just for the feast but also for his 50th anniversary of ordination, which occurs this Sunday.
The cardinal, who turns 77 on June 30, has long championed devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, including taking as his motto, “Secundum cor tuum.”
“God the Son is one with us; his divine person has a heart like ours; he is closer to us than we are to ourselves, sharing with us the most intimate pure and selfless love of his most sacred heart.”
“His compassionate love is ever aflame on our behalf. He has chosen to love us with a human heart, unconditionally, totally, and forever,” Burke commented in his feast-day homily. “Our Lord never ceases to pour out in abundance the grace of the Holy Spirit in abundance upon his Church, into our hearts, the living members of his mystical body, the living branches in him the vine.”
The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the most beautiful sign of God’s love, calls forth from us a response of love in return, that God has loved us so unconditionally makes evident our own sinfulness. Before the Sacred Heart of Jesus we cannot boast of our own importance.
Referencing his five decades as a priest, Burke made his own the famous phrase employed by St. Jean Marie Vianney, “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
Indeed, in a 2010 speech, Burke already expounded at length upon the link between the Sacred Heart and the sacrament of Holy Orders, noting the varying ways in which the devotion brings life to priestly ministry. The devotion, he noted, highlighted “the great beauty of priestly celibacy and has helped me to verify in my priestly life the profound meaning of Christ’s celibate and priestly love.”
He urged also that priests, seminarians, and young men considering the seminary pay especial attention to the devotion to the Sacred Heart, so that they may be filled with the “faithful generous and pure love of the Church.”
“May they be tireless in the care of souls in pastoral charity, that through our priestly life and ministry Christ may present the Church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she may be holy and without blemish.”
Burke, one of America’s most well-known prelates, is due to preside over a solemn Mass on Sunday to mark his 50th anniversary.
