‘Body of Christ, be thou my saving guest’

June is not only the month of the longest day and, we pray, a month of good summer weather but it is also the month where the Church celebrates the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a particular way. This beautiful devotion reminds us of the supreme importance of the loving mercy of the Triune God and that this mercy overflows from Him. It is a mercy that knows no bounds if we turn to the One who was pierced for our transgressions and humbly ask for it. It is a mercy that we must allow to flow from ourselves to those around us. We live in a world where mercy is considered weakness when, in reality, mercy (which flows from the meeting of love and justice) is true strength.

We also have the joy of having Corpus Christi falling in this month this year as well. This beautiful Solemnity points to us a fundamental truth of the Catholic faith. Jesus is truly present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Sacred Species. We can all, at times, fall into a blasé attitude when we become overfamiliar with things. We should, at times, ask ourselves whether we have fallen into that trap in our faith. Perhaps we should ask the Lord this day; ‘have I become blasé about the Eucharist?’ ‘Do I approach the Eucharist with love for the Lord who is truly present or have I forgotten this in the routine?’

As we approach these blessed Solemnities this week, let us make these lines from this beautiful hymn our prayer to be drawn ever deeper into the Lord’s love and mercy

‘Deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me; so shall I never, never part from thee’ (Soul of my Saviour).
 

With every blessing,
 Fr Gary