THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, JUNE 7, 2026

We recently finished the month of May, Mary's month. Our May Crowning in collaboration with Holy Redeemer was awesome! June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Just about every Catholic Church has a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When I was a child, most Catholic homes had a picture of the Sacred Heart. The image is not now as universal in Catholic homes as it was, but it is still a popular addition to many Catholic homes. Besides the crucifix, it is the most common image of Jesus for Catholics.

In Sacred Heart images, Jesus is shown with a serene and loving face. The image does not show the violence and anguish of the crucifixion, but is a depiction of the resurrected Jesus. The most striking feature is that Jesus' heart is shown outside of his body. Sometimes Jesus is holding his heart in his hand. The heart is ringed with fire and thorns.

What is the meaning of this image? The heart is the symbol of love and the message is that Jesus has only one emotion towards us, love. We read the same message in the New Testament, but in the image we see Jesus assuring us that he does not want our condemnation, but our salvation. Jesus died to forgive our sins and we are assured of mercy when we entrust ourselves to Jesus.

The source of the devotion is biblical. The most frequent Gospel reading associated with the Sacred Heart is the story of the soldier piercing the side of Jesus with a lance as he hung on the cross. From the wounded side of Jesus flowed blood and water, which symbolizes the saving power of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist.

With his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of our contemporary Catholic life and culture. He noted: "In contemplating the pierced heart of the Lord, who 'took our infirmities and bore our diseases,' we too are inspired to be more attentive to the sufferings and needs of others and confirmed in our efforts to share in his work of liberation as instruments for the spread of his love. As we meditate on Christ's self-offering for the sake of all, we are naturally led to ask why we too should not be ready to give our lives for others."

Jesus offers us forgiveness and mercy, but Jesus always asks for a response from us. He asks us to give to others what he gives to us, mercy and forgiveness. We are asked to have compassion for the suffering of others as Jesus has compassion for us.

2026 is the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, a particular commemoration in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. The Bishops of the United States will consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus this summer. The Bishops propose that as we mark our nation's anniversary, we also beg Jesus to protect our nation and to help us to be a people of compassion and love.

At Saint John's, we will pray a prayer of consecration to the Sacred Heart at all Masses on Sunday, June 21.

A death in the family

Father John Daya has informed us that his brother, Eugene, died this past week. He was 74 years old. Please remember Eugene and the Daya family in your prayers.

Official Obituary of Eugene J. Daya

Theft in the lower church

On Saturday, May 27, someone entered the lower church and broke open the weekday Mass collection and the debt reduction boxes. At that time, the church was empty. There is no way to know exactly how much money was taken, but I estimate that it may have been more than $2000. Our parish council discussed security and we hope to implement some changes that may have prevented that theft. However, we also understand that there are inherent security risks in our Market East neighborhood. Saint John’s needs to be open for people who want to pray so we can’t guarantee against all security risks. But we have not been as vigilant as we can be.

Father Luke’s Mass of Thanksgiving

Father Luke’s priesthood ordination is set for June 6 in Pittsburgh. He will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving at Saint John’s at 10:30 AM on Sunday, June 14, followed by a reception and lunch in the parish center. All are welcome.

Magnifica Humanitas

To the surprise of many, Pope Leo’s first encyclical is on artificial intelligence. Just as Pope Leo XVIV’s predecessor and namesake Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking encyclical Rerum Novarum considered the industrial revolution and its effect on human rights, our current Pope believes that a discussion of human rights in light of artificial intelligence is needed today. Pope Leo’s encyclical on artificial intelligence has been much discussed in the media.

Saint John’s will sponsor a three session presentation and discussion on the new encyclical. It will be by zoom with the possibility of watching the recording later. The sessions will be at 7 PM:

  1. June 29, John-Paul Spiro, Teaching Professor of Humanities, Villanova University
  2. July 6, Father Tom Betz, OFM Cap, Pastor, Saint John the Evangelist Church
  3. July 13, Father John McCloskey, OFM Cap, Parochial Vicar, Saint John the Evangelist Church

Please email Father Tom if you wish to receive zoom invitations and links to the recordings.

Email Fr. Tom

    Fr. Tom Betz

    This week ...

    From the Pastor' Desk

    Email Fr. Tom