Thought for the Day – 5 June – The Sacred Heart and the Holy Viaticum

Thought for the Day – 5 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Sacred Heart and the Holy Viaticum

“The infinite love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus accompanies us through life.
Our Lord loved us so much, that He gave His life for us – there could not possibly be any greater love than this.
“Greater love than this no-one has, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).
The Heart of Jesus beats for us continually and His gaze follows us everywhere, especially when we are in danger or in temptation.

Since Jesus loved us so much, that He died for us, it is incredible that He would ever abandon us.
Even though He is now happy and beyond suffering in Heaven, He still loves us dearly.
But if the Sacred Heart enfolds us now in a close embrace of love, He will certainly protect us in a very special manner at the moment of death, that moment on which, depends an eternity of joy or of suffering.

Let us reflect on what happened when Jesus was hanging upon the Cross.
He gave us all His love and all His Precious Blood and, with His dying breath, He gave us the last treasure He possessed, His Blessed Mother.
Omnipotent though He was, He could not give us anything more.
He had exhausted His infinite love, giving us, not merely all that He possessed but, giving us Himself also.

One of the thieves who was being crucified along with Him, turned towards Him, a look of repentance and of supplication.
His Heart was filled with love and mercy and He said to the penitent thief:  “This day, thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:43).
These are comforting words.
Someday we also shall be in agony and shall turn to Jesus in our final hour.
Then Jesus, in the Blessed Eucharist, will come to us for the last time.
Let us pray earnestly that the Viaticum may bring us the same consolation which the words of Jesus gave to the good thief:  “This day, thou shalt be with me in paradise!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci