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Gospel: Matthew 11: 25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Christians are called to live in “ecstasy.”
So, what exactly does that mean?
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The word, “ecstasy” originally referred to a religious experience.
It meant to, “step outside of yourself,” to see the world from someone else’s perspective; to walk in another person’s shoes.
Isn’t this what God did when he took on flesh?
In the Incarnation, the Lord stepped outside of heaven; he came down to earth, and learned what it felt like to live and move as a human being; to flee King Herod as a refugee; to feel the twinge of hunger; to know the embrace of a mother; to be loved; and even to be hated.
The Lord stepped outside of himself whenever he encountered his neighbor. He was constantly healing the sick, forgiving the sinner, teaching the curious, and stretching people’s minds to experience what it means to be loved.
Jesus reveals that God has the heart of a shepherd, as we hear in today’s Gospel.
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
While this feast reminds us of the infinite mercy of God, it also challenges us to step outside of our own selves, seeing the world from the perspective of the tired, poor, hungry, and lonely.
It’s something we can do in the smallest of ways: we can listen before we speak; reach out to a neighbor; feed an empty stomach; or pray for a person in need.
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In what ways do I live in “ecstasy”? How do I step outside of my own thoughts and plans in order to see the world from someone else’s perspective?
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May we continue to model our lives after our merciful God, who has loved us and given himself for us.
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Image credits: (1) ABC Religion and Ethics (2) Carl Dietrich, Sacred Heart of Jesus (3) Braving the Hot Mess
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus free us from sin.