Today is the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Responsorial Psalms for today’s Mass got me to wonder just what did David mean when he wrote about fearing the Lord. We hear that so often – to fear Him. If God is our loving father, why are we told to cower in fear of Him?
It’s a different kind of fear. This does not mean we should obey God because we fear His punishment. To fear the Lord means we stand in awe before Him, with a profound respect. He is all good, all loving, and merciful. It is not punishment we fear, but offending our heavenly father. As children, we strive to please our parents. The last thing we wish to do is to disappoint them. Fearing God simply means we fear disappointment, we fear failing Him. Pope Francis put it this way:
[Fear of the Lord] does not mean being afraid of God: we know well that God is Father, that he loves us and wants our salvation, and he always forgives, always; thus, there is no reason to be scared of him! Fear of the Lord, instead, is the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom we are reminded of how small we are before God and of his love and that our good lies in humble, respectful and trusting self-abandonment into his hands. This is fear of the Lord: abandonment in the goodness of our Father who loves us so much.
Proverbs 9:10 tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
In a strange way, you could say that to fear the Lord is to love the Lord. We think of love as an emotion that pours forth from the heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Feast of the Sacred Heart are among the most popular Catholic devotionals. The feast itself, like so many feasts, is tied directly to Easter. From Easter Sunday, count forward 50 days to Pentecost Sunday. Now count forward another 19 days, and you have arrived at today.
This Feast Day is not found in scripture, although since it is tied to the celebrations of Easter and Pentecost, it can be viewed as an extension of these Holy Days. Catholic teachings tell us that on December 27, 1674 Christ appeared to Margret Mary as she struggled to meditate in the formal ways expected of a sister of her chosen order. When Jesus appeared to this clumsy and somewhat slow sister, He revealed to her His Sacred Heart. He had but one request of Margret Mary. He asked that she promote a devotion to His Sacred Heart through frequent Communion and asked for an hour of prayer each Thursday evening in memory of His agony in Gethsemane. It wasn’t until 1765 that France began to officially celebrate the Feast honoring His Sacred Heart. Nearly 100 years later Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the Universal Church Calendar. So why is the Feast of His Sacred Heart celebrated 19 days after Pentecost and not on the anniversary of his apparition? This date was chosen by Christ himself in His instructions to Margaret Mary. It is no wonder that of all the feasts and devotions, this carries such great significance among the faithful.
Today also happens to be National Vanilla Pudding Day. Enjoy and know that God loves you.
French Vanilla Berry Trifle Coupes
1 (3 oz) package instant French Vanilla Pudding
1-3/4 cups cold Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups Strawberries
2 tablespoons Coarse Sugar
8 Blackberries
1 loaf Angel Food Cake
Chill a mixing bowl for the pudding. Once nicely chilled, empty the contents of the pudding package into the bowl. Add cold milk. Whisk by hand to blend. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes, until the pudding has reached a soft-set stage. Add vanilla extract. Cover pudding with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Rinse strawberries. Remove stems, slice strawberries as desired. Place in a bowl; sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of sugar for sweeter berries. Rinse blackberries, pat dry and set aside.
When ready to assemble, slice the angle food cake in half lengthwise. Using a champagne coupe to cut rounds of cake that just fit inside the coupe. Place cake round inside the coupe. Spoon pudding over the cake, smooth out the top. Finish with a scattering of fruit.
Cover and chill well before serving.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does He deal with us,
nor does He requite us according to our crimes.
The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear Him.
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 
Yummy!
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