FEAST of the SACRED HEART of JESUS: My REFLECTIONS
  
 19.06.2020…in the Pandemic of Coronavirus, Covid-19
  
 Jesus, in Gethsemane, You prayed to Your Father in Heaven – knowing what you’d have to endure in order to save mankind. 
You sweated blood, and tears and they fell on stony ground. You knew the pain – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – that would shortly come Your way – the Way of the Cross, Via Dolorosa. 
And You accepted it because You loved us. 
Innocence would be taken prisoner by Roman guards (deceived by Judas who sold Truth and Love for money, which he later threw away because he had in fact sold his soul to the devil). 
You, Jesus, had done no wrong for You, Author of Life, are perfectly righteous in all things.
 Yet later You would say in love and mercy: 
‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
  
 Jesus, You were cruelly beaten, tortured by inhumane beings, for letting us know how much the Father loved us – for He had created us.
Fear and ignorance produced horrific pain – inflicted by ears which could not hear and eyes, which could not see; hearts which could not love and minds, made impotent, for they could not connect with the Creator of life and, so, the void was filled with the enemy of life: Satan.
Innocence was being led to the slaughter and yet, You loved us with Your Sacred Heart: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
  
 Jesus, they crowned You with thorns, which pierced Your beautiful head; causing blood, like tears, to run down Your precious face, and on to the parched soil, giving it life. 
Your unique and perfect blood was mingled with earth, for You were God-Made-Man. 
You were, and are, King – of life, eternity, Heaven, all created things, cosmos, universe, love, and power unlimited, majestic, glorious, all-powerful and ever-lasting. 
Innocence reacted with peace and love, both flowing from a Sacred Heart: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
  
 Jesus, I can bearly lift a small piece of wood; I cannot remove the plank in my own eye; yet You carried a Cross, made of heavy wood, on which You would be hanged. 
It wasn’t enough for the enemies of life to beat You until blood ran free, to pierce You with sharp thorns and weaken You physically by violence and neglect, for they added more pain…
You had to bear the weight of our sins in order to free us from death – so You fell, and rose again. 
Your sorrowful eyes, surely showing the suffering of the Servant, God’s only Son! 
You had a mission of love – to freely lay down Your life, in order to take it up again. 
Innocence and Mercy pleaded: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
 Jesus, You crucified our sins – of hate, murder, unbelief in You, selfishness, deceit, lies, jealously, anger, lust and greed – by being hanged on a rough, wooden Cross on the Hill of Calvary, outside the city wall of Jerusalem. 
People looked on – horrified, sad, shocked, angry, weeping, beating their hearts in sorrow and shame, in denial, indifference and confusion. 
But Your precious blood and water fell on earth and again mingled with stony soil, for additional pain was inflicted by the soldier’s sword (‘Indeed this was a Son of God.’) which pierced Your innocent side…and blood still ran from Your hands and feet, pierced by long, rusty nails.
More unimaginable pain was imminent because, for a time, You would be separated from Your Heavenly Father. 
Into a void of nothingness, Your Spirit would pass, whilst the bridge from death to life, was being created – Son to the Father, Earth to Heaven. Death had no sting; the victory had been accomplished.
Oh, Holy King! Oh, Sacred Heart! Oh, Loving Creator of all life, of all that exists… forgive us, we pray.
  
 And still, You are hanging on that Cross – for still we kill and hate and destroy; our sin is consuming us and yet, You are a consuming fire that will cleanse us, heal us, and renew us. 
You will destroy Satan, the enemy of life. Your Sacred Heart, filled with love without limit, will triumph. 
You are victorious, for only love can live, decreed by God, Who is Love.
Thank You, Love. Oh, Sacred heart, come and renew the face of the Earth!
  
 juliehughespoetry(c)june2020