0
0
Illustration: Painting representing the vision received by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart,
Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Convent in Porto, Portugal
Pope Leo’s homily for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Friday, 12 June 2026
_______________________________
Gospel for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yes, Father, for such was thy gracious will.
All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Pope Leo’s Homily.
Dear brothers and sisters,
It is a blessing to be able to come together on this day, when the Heart of Jesus reveals itself to us as the heart of history.
I am happy to celebrate the Eucharist with you and give thanks for the many examples of faith and charity that I have witnessed on this Apostolic Journey.
It is this that makes the archipelago, renowned for its beauty and hospitality, a place where the Risen Lord precedes us and reveals himself to us.
The sea and sky before us seems to represents infinite, but the longing that joins the heart of God to so many human hearts is even more boundless.
The joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties of these hearts find an echo in the heart of the Church.
No human being is an island.
The geographical location of this diocese and the pastoral challenges it faces demonstrate that we are born to encounter others, and that no obstacle, distance, danger or threat can prevent us from making that journey.
Whether we spend our whole lives in one place or choose — or are forced — to leave, we are all changed by the experience.
The secret of the heart: the inner call to exodus and to encounter.
However, the Heart of Jesus shows us how to avoid getting lost in a futile struggle:
“God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
It is by giving ourselves away that we truly live.
Otherwise, we are adrift.
We are indeed called to communion with God, and we can only fully discover our true selves through sincere self-giving.
Our deepest vocation is to enter into the Trinitarian dynamic of love received.
Many people today sense a profound imbalance, which leads them to engage in frantic activity.
This makes them feel busy and constantly hurried, causing them to ride roughshod over everything around them.
This, also, affects how they treat the environment”.
These words also challenge Tenerife’s commitment to hospitality.
It speaks to the hearts of both those who choose to spend their holidays here and those who live and work on the island, welcoming visitors from so many countries around the world.
What does the human heart seek?
How can we quench its thirst without being disingenuous?
For those guided by the Gospel, it is important not to reduce everything to commerce and profit.
Those who enjoy life more and make the most of each moment are those who have given up constantly looking for what they do not have.
They learn to appreciate each person and each thing, becoming familiar with the simplest things and learning to enjoy them.
They are therefore able to let go of their insatiable desires, reducing their obsessiveness and weariness. Dear brothers and sisters, understand your vocation to hospitality in this way.
Today’s Gospel seems to take this challenge to the extreme, reminding us of the poor man’s wealth.
This paradox points directly to the life of Jesus, his truth and the path on which he asks us to follow him. In the passage we have just heard, Jesus blesses God the Father for revealing himself to the little ones — the least among us, whose thoughts and words are ignored.
God has enriched them with what is hidden from those surrounded by admiration and success.
In the Apostolic Exhortation ‘Dilexi Te’, I aimed to highlight the important role of the poor in divine revelation and the Church’s mission.
This mystery resonates uniquely on these islands, which lie at the center of migratory routes and are therefore a place of initial welcome for brothers and sisters whose journeys are generally fraught with unspeakable dangers and violence.
In the face of those who exploit despair, we Christians can do more than set an example by following the Lord’s words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
The greatest grace is to allow ourselves to be evangelized by those we help and to recognize the mysterious wisdom of God inscribed in their flesh.
“Growing up in precarious circumstances, learning to survive in the most adverse conditions, trusting in God with the assurance that no one else takes them seriously, and helping one another in the darkest moments, the poor have learned many things that they keep hidden in their hearts.
Those of us who have not had similar experiences of living this way certainly have much to gain from the source of wisdom that is the experience of the poor.
Only by relating our complaints to their sufferings and privations can we experience a reproof that can challenge us to simplify our lives” (Dilexi Te, 102).
The Lord, who admonishes and corrects those he loves desires to make our lives simple and joyful.
(Revelations 3:19 – Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.),
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for who you are and what you do.
Thank you for making this island a place where we encounter the heart of Christ through the friendly and hospitable faces of the people and fraternal communities.
We know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abides in God, and God abides in them. (1 John 4:16).
May this confession of faith, handed down in the First Letter of John, shine forth in you always, inspiring you to pray and take action.
Be attentive to teenagers and young people, the rich and the poor, residents and guests.
All of them need to be seen beyond appearances, with a gaze that recognizes the depth of their restless hearts.
These hearts are often already oriented towards the Kingdom of God and his justice, perhaps unconsciously.
Let it be evident among you that God is love, and that whoever remains in love remains in God and God in them.
This is the heart of the Gospel and of Christ.
Those who immerse themselves in it no longer live for themselves.
Open this sea of love to everyone!
This is my wish and prayer for you and all those who will come to know you.
