Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Click here for information on the 2024 LOSH Charity Golf Scramble held on Monday, April 22, 2024.


Click here for information on the Knights of Columbus Charity Golf Tournament held on Saturday, June 15, 2024.



Eucharistic logo cropped Check out the new SHJ web page for the National Eucharistic Revival.
When Pope Francis proclaimed that 2016 would be a Jubilee Year of Mercy he said he wants to make it evident that the Church’s mission is to be a witness of compassionLet us not forget that God forgives and God forgives always, let us never tire of asking for forgiveness.” As a theme he chose, be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  Today’s readings illustrate the magnitude of the Father’s forgiveness and show us the proper response to forgiveness:  love.

Forgiveness and love - nothing sums up Christ’s mission on earth more than those two words.  And if we are to be “Christ-like,” Christians, that must be our mission also.  What our readings show us is that one follows after the other:  great forgiveness demands great love in return.  That is really important and a key element in our stories, great forgiveness demands great love in return.  Not the opposite, we aren’t forgiven because we loved greatly.  We are called to love because we have been forgiven.  Look at the first reading.

King David is considered the greatest king in the history of Israel.  He is held up as the example of what a king, a leader should be.  But he was also a great sinner.  Nathan the prophet lists all the wonderful things God has done for David, all the gifts and blessings that God gave David, then he says, Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?  You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own.”  In a movie this is the time when there is dead silence and the camera zooms in on the face of David.  He says simply, I have sinned against the Lord.”  Nathan replies, The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin:  you shall not die.”  Without even asking God for forgiveness, as soon as David recognized his sin, he was forgiven. That’s powerful.  And Nathan’s response to David is the same response Christ has for us:  We are forgiven, we shall not die, death no longer has a hold on us.  But the first step, like David, is recognizing that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, in need of mercy.

Now look at the Gospel. The woman has clearly seen that she is a sinner, which is why she sought out Christ.  And what does Christ say?  Her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love.  But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”  Notice what comes first:  it is not that the woman loved Jesus and therefore he forgave her sins.  Just the opposite.  He forgave her sins, and therefore she loved him.  Usually we have it backwards.  We think we have to get rid of all our sins and turn into very loving people in order for God to care about us.  We are afraid we have to earn God’s love.  Maybe that is because that is how we deal with each other.  “If we invite them to dinner they will like us.”  In reality we have always been loved by our loving God.  And as we slowly let that love in, we begin to change.  We begin to recognize who we really are:  sinful but loved; often failing but always forgiven.  We soften our hearts toward the mess or messes we have made of our lives because we begin to see that somehow we are loved just as we are.”   

Each one of us is greatly loved.  Each one of us has experienced the forgiveness and mercy of God.  Three times before Communion we ask for forgiveness and mercy:  in the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass; when we join hands and say the Our Father; and when we recite the Lamb of God.  Knowing our merciful Father forgives us,  we approach this altar to touch Christ and be touched by Him. The question for us is how do we respond?  Do we respond the only way someone who has been loved greatly and forgiven can – with great love in return?  Like the woman, do we pour ourselves out in service to Christ, to others?  Do we wash feet, dry them, kiss them, anoint them? 

Great forgiveness should always lead to lavish love, love that is shown in service.  Service to God, service to others.

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Mass Times

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday   9:00 am
Wednesday   4:00 pm
First Saturday   9:00 am
Saturday    5:00 pm 
Sunday   8:00 am
10:00 am
Holy Day Vigil (with obligation) As announced
Holy Day (with or without obligation)   9:00 am


Confession Schedule
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 8:40 to 8:55 am
Wednesday 3:30 to 3:50 pm
Saturday 4:00 to 4:45 pm
By Appointment Call Pastor