The readings for the Mass today center on the ‘shepherd’ theme.  Jesus realizes that his disciples need some solitary, silent time and space.  As they retreat to a lonely place, they see before them a crowd of people who arrived there just before them. 

Jesus: the icon of God’s love, the icon stamped upon our hearts. Thus, this is our end goal (telios) to become fully open, arms outstretched in mercy and compassion.  “Acquire a heart and you shall be saved”.  This desert saying coming out of the fourth century from Abba Pambo can accompany us for our whole life’s journey!  ‘Acquire a heart’, ‘find your heart’ – To do so is our salvation. 

Holy Trinity: God-love.  ‘God-love’ is how Pope Francis addresses the Triune God.  This name he gives for God reveals in a terse, poetic way the nature of the triune God: Love, unconditional Love.  Pope Francis writes: “Jesus made manifest the face of God, in substance One and in persons Triune; God is all and only Love, in a subsistent relationship that creates, redeems and sanctifies all: Father and Son and Holy Spirit” (Angelus, June 11, 2017). 

Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar comments on Sunday’s gospel: “‘Remain in my love.’  These words are to remain alive in the hearts of believers, permitting Jesus to address us inwardly in heart and conscience long after he no longer lives among us outwardly” (Light of the Word, p.193).  ‘Remain in my love’: these words are to be alive in and upon our hearts; they also are to be alive upon our daily consciousness and conscience.

Listen to God speaking to the prophet Jeremiah: “This is the new covenant I will make: Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts” (Jer 32: 31,33).  What is a covenant?  It is a relationship between God and the believing community.  It is both personal and communal.  God writes on the heart his Law…the Law of love…this is the new covenant.  This covenant is the eternal word that transcends time and culture…what was written perdures….it is eternal, God given, God sustained.  No evil…nothing has power over what God has written upon the heart, nothing can break this covenant…what is written is the transforming power of God’s love…which contains forgiveness and mercy.