Fr. Richard Heilman: A Manifesto for Recovering Our Church

By Fr. Richard Heilman, Roman Catholic Man, June 2, 2023

A MANIFESTO FOR RECOVERING OUR CHURCH

I write this on the First Friday of the month in the month of June. First Fridays and, in particular, the month of June are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This while, in the public square, June is “Pride Month,” which is dedicated to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, etc. The contrast cannot go unnoticed. How did we ever get here??

Here’s how …

I begin by stating that I have been particularly struck by the Gospel on this First Friday in June. Enraged by the desecration of the temple, Jesus violently sets about turning over tables of those blaspheming God. Yes, on this First Friday in June, as we contemplate the great love of Jesus radiating from His Most Sacred Heart, the Gospel reveals the Son of God in a fit of rage.

How can this be? He is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He is love in its perfection. Yet, we see him outraged and violent? Isn’t love all about gentleness and never offending anybody? ….