June 22 Thu
When God is insulted… the LOS ANGELES Archbishop’s response to the DODGERS (excerpts)
We gather to celebrate the beauty of God’s love and pray that our hearts might be conformed to his, which burns with love for all people.
As Our Lord hung on the Cross, the Sacred Heart of Jesus was pierced by a Roman soldier; it is the most perfect sign of God’s love for each and every one of us.
Out of his pierced heart flows the living waters that make us clean, and the Precious Blood that redeems us from our sins, and sets us free.
The Sacred Heart is a Person’s Heart opened for you and for me, and for every one of our neighbors.
From out of his pierced Heart, Jesus speaks to every human heart, saying: “This is how much I love you; this is how much you are worth to me.”
St Josemaría said: “Love can only be paid back with love.”
That is true. We can repay his love, only by loving Jesus as he has loved us.
This is what it means to be a Catholic. The Catholic religion is the religion of love.
And we believe that Jesus calls us to spend our lives on earth spreading the good news of his love.
Catholics share God’s love not only when we speak and worship. We prove our love through works of charity and mercy for all. We prove our love by working for peace and justice for every person.
That is why so many of us are offended by the decision to honor a group that insults Jesus, and mocks Catholic believers.
When God is insulted, when the beliefs of any of our neighbors are ridiculed, it diminishes all of us.
When we reward such acts, it hurts our unity as one city and one nation, as one family under God.
Jesus was meek and humble of heart.
Jesus gave his Church the mission to proclaim the good news of his love to every human heart, to the ends of the earth, until the day he returns.
That is our mission as Catholics.
So, let us go to Jesus and learn from him. Let us ask him to make our hearts more like his own.
Jesus commands us to forgive those who trespass against us, and to pray for those who persecute us. And he taught us to oppose what is wrong and ugly, with what is beautiful and true. Just as he did.
We ask him today to give us the strength to do that.
We entrust our lives, and our city and country, to the tender heart of Holy Mary, the Mother of God and the mother of each of us. Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, pray for us!