heart of Jesus
What Do You Still Want To Learn About Jesus?
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: Jan. 15, 2023
Years ago I heard a story about a young woman who was preparing to become Catholic. She was so excited about all that she was learning about Jesus. One day she turned to the priest and excitedly asked him, “what do you still want to learn about Jesus?”
What do you still want to learn about Jesus?
John the Baptist sees Jesus coming to him in the gospel today. People do not yet know anything much about Jesus. John uses images to describe him, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” something we sing each Mass before Holy Communion. John then speaks of how at his baptism, the Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and the Father says that he is “the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” Finally, John calls Jesus “the Son of God.”
How do you and I come to know Jesus more deeply?
In each Sacrament it is possible to encounter Jesus. especially in the Eucharist in which we experience the presence of Jesus in the Presider, in the Assembly of the People of God gathered together as the body of Christ, in the Word proclaimed and especially in the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine consecrated that becomes for us the body and blood of Christ.
Also, we come to know Jesus more deeply in the people we encounter each day. Especially in the poor, the sick, the children, the lonely, for Jesus says that whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to him.
Of course, a special place in which we can come to know Jesus more deeply is in the Scriptures, especially in the Gospels. We should read and pray with the Gospels, watching and listening to Jesus. Each time we read or listen to the Gospels it is possible to learn about Jesus.
We are now beginning the Ordinary time in the church’s year. Each Sunday we have Gospel readings in which we have the opportunity to learn more about Jesus. Our Lectionary has a three year cycle. Each year focus on a different Gospel, Matthew, Mark or Luke.
This year is Year A and the focus is the Gospel of Matthew. These Gospels give us an opportunity to learn more about Jesus. One recommendation is that you may want to take out your Bible and plan to read the Gospel of Matthew as you prepare to hear the Sunday Gospels this year.
By the way, when that woman asked the priest what he still wanted to learn about Jesus, what do you think he answered? He said, “I want to learn what is in the heart of Jesus.” As you read or listen to the Gospels, look for what is in the heart of Jesus.
Well, what do you still want to learn about Jesus?
Have A Heart Like Jesus – Fr. Mark
Baptism of the Lord – Year C
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: January 13, 2019
There was a woman in the RCIA who was preparing to become Catholic. She was very excited about all that she was learning about Jesus. She turned to the priest one day all excited and asked him, “What do you still want to learn about Jesus?” The priest was surprised and thought a moment, then he answered, “I want to know what was in the heart of Jesus.”
Well, in the account of the baptism of Jesus we see a glimpse of what was in the heart of Jesus. As he rises out from the water after his baptism in the Jordan, it says a voice is heard, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”
The Eternal Father in Love sends the Eternal Son to become one of us. Jesus, truly God and truly a human being. He became fully human like us in all things but sin. Jesus knew weakness, sadness, grief, he cried, had pain and joy, shared friendships, knew the love of a mother, experienced suffering and death. Jesus shared our humanity fully.
In the heart of Jesus was an intimate relationship with God the Father, whom he called Abba. A deep union as a beloved Son. This love and union with the Father inspired everything that Jesus thought and did.
In our baptism we are united to Jesus and through Jesus we actually share in Divinity, we share in the life of God, enter into the Trinity to dwell in God.
One of our most simple prayers is the Sign of the Cross. Yet, it is so profound. When we make that Sign of the Cross devoutly we are expressing our unity with Jesus who shared our humanity and we are expressing our being embraced within the heart of God, as a beloved child.
The key to being a good Catholic is not going to Mass on Sunday or saying certain prayers. The key to being a good Catholic is to know in our heart what was in the heart of Jesus at his baptism. “You are my Son the beloved.”
St. John Paul II once defined Christianity this way, “it is an attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human being.” You all have a great dignity in the eyes of God. You are the beloved of God. After we come to know this in our heart, then we need to see our fellow human beings with the eyes of God. All human beings have this dignity, including those different from us, including those in prison, including refugees, including a child with autism, including the senior with dementia and so on.
As the baptized, we are to form our heart so that it becomes the heart of Jesus. The heart of a beloved Son, the heart of a beloved daughter. Then we need to see and treat all our fellow human beings as the beloved children of God.
Have the heart of a beloved child of God, see your fellow human beings as beloved children of God.