Fr. Miguel Marie | June 12, 2026
Disclaimer: The following are the homily notes from today’s Mass, celebrated on June 12, 2026, at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL.
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart here at the Shrine. The bishop of our diocese actually has transferred the celebration to this coming Sunday; at the same time, he gives an option for some religious orders who wish to retain the celebration today instead of Sunday; and the Shrine and Monastery take that option. So, if you’re at your parish in our diocese (Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama) this Sunday, you’ll celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart in addition to today.
Typically, the solemnity falls on the Friday after Corpus Christi Sunday, which is today. The celebration of the Sacred Heart is the celebration of God’s love for the world through His Son.
No one loves us more than Jesus! His love is infinite! His love is pure! His love is sacrificial and the greatest there is in the universe! He once said: “There is no greater love than this; that a man lays down his life for his friends!”
Our Christian life is about two things: recognizing & responding. Recognizing God’s personal love for each of us; and responding to God’s love through actions. So, both — recognizing & responding.
The Sacred Heart reveals His amazing love for humanity concretely through St. Margaret Mary. Any person would have no clue that he is being loved by another unless he is told… unless he knows… unless he recognizes that love.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus wishes to tell humanity His love through St. Margaret Mary. St. Margaret Mary is known to be the disciple of the Sacred Heart. Jesus tells her: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, to prove to them Its love.”
This is so biblical and so in line with our belief of God’s love for mankind. The famous John 3:16: God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son to die and to rise.
Yes, the Sacred Heart spared nothing. He completely exhausted himself on the Cross at Calvary! Sometimes, we get so used to what we know that we lose the freshness of that knowledge to the point that we may not recognize God’s love anymore.
The more we recognize God’s love, the more we want to respond. This is natural between two lovers. Imagine one loves the other while the other is not responding; that relationship won’t last. In our human frailty, that relationship won’t last.
With the Sacred Heart, His love is always giving; even when we don’t respond, His love will never die out; He will never run out of loving us from His infinite love. He waits and waits and waits for us to respond. Again, the more we recognize God’s love, the more we want to respond.
How do we respond to the love of the Sacred Heart?
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We respond by praying.
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We respond by believing.
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We respond by doing whatever Jesus calls us to do.
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We respond by witnessing to others.
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We respond by loving one another just as the Sacred Heart loves us — infinitely, unselfishly, and sacrificially.
Recognize the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & respond to His love according to each of our state of life.
Mother Angelica used to not know that God personally loved her! Having many difficulties in life was not helping, surely. For a long time, she did not know God loved her. She said this herself. Once she knew and recognized His love for her, she was able to begin responding to His love. In fact, her decision to become a religious sister was her response to God’s love for her.
Here’s what she once said: “I didn’t know God loved me for a long time. Many feel that way. Because we are so aware of our faults, our weaknesses, our sins, we have an impression that God couldn’t love us. Well, that’s not true. God is infinite. There is no end to His love. He doesn’t love you for anything you possess. He loves you because He is love…”
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus help us to recognize His love and may He help us to respond to Him as He deserves.