Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

Traditionally, the human heart is viewed as a symbol of love. However, in today's Gospel passage, Jesus presents a different perspective on the human heart, highlighting it as the source of evil intentions that can harm and destroy others.

The heart represents a person's inner core, which encompasses both light and darkness. It can serve as a reservoir for goodness or become a channel for evil. One compelling image of our faith is the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a figure that was prominent in my home while growing up and still holds significance today. This image represents God's inner core, which embodies wholly selfless love. This love was fully revealed through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, demonstrating a love that is intensely creative and life-giving.

Our calling is to cultivate hearts that, to some extent, reflect the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to have inner cores that participate in God's essence. This profound vision of our central calling is beautifully captured in the simple yet powerful prayer many of us learned: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love."