The Real Celebration of June

From the moment the month of June started, it’s been everywhere.  It’s been shared on social media and on the news along with other forms of media/entertainment.  Organizations have made statements and updated logos.  Companies that create different products, whether it’s candy, cereal or clothing to name a few, have updated their packaging/designs.  Flags have been put up.  If you haven’t figured out what I’m talking about yet, I’m referring to the endless amount of rainbows that have been plastered everywhere.  As the secular world celebrates Pride Month, we constantly hear the motto “love is love” while being bombarded with phrases and messages about LGBT Pride.  As Catholics, we cannot support the culture, events, activities, and behaviors that this movement celebrates and promotes.  We must, however, respect and love the people who partake in Pride Month events and offer compassion and empathy for all who experience same-sex attraction.  Instead of celebrating pride, we should all pray to grow in the virtue of humility.  Rather than identifying ourselves by our temptations, weaknesses, and sin, we should allow ourselves to be defined by the love God has for us.  What better way to do these things than by diving deep into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that the Catholic Church celebrates during the month of June.

If you dare defend the Church’s teaching on marriage, you’re usually called a “homophobic, bigoted, hateful jerk” or something along those lines.  What the Church teaches is full of truth, beauty, and goodness.  Whether we are talking about marriage or love aside from marriage, our society does not understand love and often has a distorted view of what it means to love.  However, when we look upon Jesus and His Sacred Heart, it is only then that we can begin to  understand what it means to love others and be loved.

The culture promotes love as something that is selfish and asks questions like “what’s in it for me?” or “how can I get what I want?”.  The Sacred Heart bursts forth with a flame, pierced and bleeding, and crowned with thorns, thus revealing to us His deep, infinite, unconditional love for all of humanity.  The love of Jesus is more powerful and transformative than anything else in this world.  The heart of Jesus is filled with love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and all that is missing from our culture’s ideas of love.

We can only truly love others when we open ourselves up to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Receiving His love fills us with love for those around us.  We are all called to learn from the heart of Jesus and imitate His love and humility.  It’s not easy but with prayer, dedication, and discipline, we can grow more like Him each day and learn how to love like Him.

Contrary to what the world might say, people are not defined by their attractions, temptations, or weaknesses.  While Catholics cannot celebrate Pride month and the behaviors and activities that it promotes, we must recognize the dignity and worth of every single person, regardless of what they struggle with.  Take time to lean into the Sacred Heart and know that Jesus pours out his love and mercy on each and every one of us.  That is something worth celebrating during the month of June and every month after!

“Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like yours.”