June 22 — The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Enemies.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus among His Enemies.

1. There is nothing more painful to the tender heart of one who loves his fellows than to be surrounded with those who look coldly on him, misunderstand him, misinterpret his words, misconstrue his actions. Such a life is in itself a perpetual martyrdom. Such was the life of Jesus. What continual pain and anguish and desolation He must have endured from His youth up, from the hostility of His townsfolk, His own relations, the scribes and Pharisees, the ancients and the rulers.

2. Yet how gentle He is to all, how forbearing, how sweet and patient and winning in His demeanor. They must indeed have been hard and wicked not to have yielded to the fascination of His Divine attractiveness. Yet so it was: they hated Him just because of His meekness, His charity. His holiness. So it is now. The more clearly the beauty of the Church, the Spouse of Christ, shows forth, the more men seem to hate her.

3. The Sacred Heart, however, with all its divine gentleness, was very stern in dealing with one class of sinners. All who were leading others wrong were the object of the fierce wrath and indignation of Jesus. This wrath was the more terrible just because of His very gentleness. How He denounces those who give scandal and those who are the occasion of sin to others! If I have ever led others into sin, I have good cause to tremble before the wrath of the Lamb!