9th Friday of Ordinary Time
First Friday
5 June 2026
The heart of God revealed
The devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us to reflect upon one of the most important questions in the Christian life: What is God really like?
Many people carry images of God that are incomplete. Some imagine God primarily as a judge waiting to catch mistakes. Others imagine Him as distant, uninvolved, or indifferent to the struggles of ordinary life. Still others think of God largely as an idea, a force, or a set of moral principles.
The Sacred Heart gives us a different answer.
The Sacred Heart reveals the very heart of God.
When we look upon the Sacred Heart, we see the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ. We see a heart that welcomes sinners, seeks the lost, forgives enemies, comforts the afflicted, and remains faithful even when rejected. We see a heart willing to endure betrayal, scourging, mockery, and crucifixion rather than abandon those whom it loves.
The Sacred Heart is not merely a devotional image. It is a summary of the Gospel.
Throughout salvation history, God has been revealing Himself gradually to His people. He called Abraham. He delivered Israel from Egypt. He spoke through Moses and the prophets. He formed a covenant people and prepared them for something greater still.
All of that reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
For in Christ we do not merely hear about God's love. We encounter it. The eternal Son takes flesh and enters human history. The God who created the stars possesses a human heart. The God who governs the universe experiences friendship, sorrow, compassion, and suffering. The God who spoke through the prophets now walks among His people.
And at the center of His earthly life is love. Not sentimental love. Not fleeting emotion. But sacrificial, steadfast, covenantal love.
The Sacred Heart reminds us that the deepest truth about God is not power, though He is all-powerful. It is not wisdom, though He is infinitely wise. It is not even justice, though He is perfectly just.
The deepest truth revealed in Christ is that God is love.
This is why devotion to the Sacred Heart became so important in the life of the Church. It arose as a response to the temptation to see God as distant or severe. The Sacred Heart reminds us that Christ's love is personal. He does not merely love humanity in general. He loves each person individually.
He knows our fears. He knows our wounds. He knows our sins. He knows our failures. And still He loves.
The readings today offer a subtle connection to this reality. Saint Paul tells Timothy to remain faithful to what he has received and learned. Christianity is not built upon passing trends or changing opinions. It is rooted in the revelation God has given through Christ.
And in the Gospel, Jesus challenges inadequate understandings of the Messiah. He is not merely another teacher or king. He is David's Lord. He is the One toward whom all the promises of God have been directed.
The Sacred Heart helps us hold these truths together.
The One who is Lord of heaven and earth is also the One whose heart burns with love for His people. The One who reigns over history is also the One who weeps over Jerusalem. The One who will come again in glory is also the One who allows His side to be pierced upon the Cross.
As we continue through this month of the Sacred Heart, perhaps the greatest grace we can ask for is not simply a greater knowledge of Christ but a deeper trust in His love.
For many spiritual struggles begin when we doubt that God truly loves us. And many saints were formed when they finally believed that He does.
The Sacred Heart stands before us as a permanent reminder that the love of Christ is not an abstract doctrine. It is the living reality at the center of the Christian faith, a love that continues to seek us, forgive us, and draw us into communion with God.