Before I forget...   
     
· It was the much in Magdalene that Jesus loved.  For, as Mark says,
"He was too much for them."
Like a woman who loves too much
Like an ointment that costs too much
And is spilled too much,
Like a seventy times seven God
Who forgives too much,
like a seed that grows too much
and yields thirty
sixty
a hundred fold.
  -John Shea, The Indiscriminate Host
· When Christ said:  "Forgive them for they know not what they do," He was speaking of an ignorance that excuses sin.  Most of the time when we sin--we do know what we are doing, but we don't know how much God loves us--hence we are still innocent through ignorance.
-Karl Rahner S.J., Prayers for a Lifetime

In our Catholic tradition, June is the month of the Sacred Heart.  Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ is all about the Savior's love for us.  It is important to remember the compassionate love of Christ, especially in these trying times in the American Catholic Church.  We are more than just an institution or an organization.  We are people who belong to a very compassionate God.
Sometimes when I meet with a family before a funeral, I find out that the person to be buried had a lot of problems.  But often, almost always, someone in the family is quick to add: "He had a good heart."  I think that Jesus knew all of us when he told the story of the prodigal son.  If we can see the "good heart" of a person with a lot of struggles, how much more does God see the goodness in each one of us!  I believe in a God who is intelligent, compassionate, and extremely forgiving as we read about bishops and priests who are resigning because of their failures/sins/crimes.
What kind of God do you believe in?  In conservative circles, God is hung up on orthodoxy, dogma, and morals.  In liberal circles, God is hung up on social justice.  In neither circle is God very joyous, understanding, and compassionate.  Where do we find the true God…at St. Agnes or at St. Joan of Arc?  As we read the gospels, do we take the unconditional love of God seriously?  Do we take the joy of God seriously?  Is God out to get us?  Does your God sit in heaven, smiling completely relaxed, looking at the marvelous symphony of all creation?  Or, do you see God who is very serious, wired, intense, full of pain, disappointed in all of us, and unforgiving? 
Yet, the religion of Jesus Christ, and his loving heart is all about the joy of God.  The joy of God!
As you read the newspapers or watch the news, what kind of God is dealing with our priests and bishops?  Is God vindictive, petty, stupid, non-compassionate?  Is God's love, incarnate in Jesus Christ, real?  Does God love us before we sin and after we sin?  Does your God love the sinner and is ready to welcome them into heaven. ?  Does your God want every one to live with God forever? 
As you meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, what do you see?  I pray that my God is compassionate, loving and forgiving.  What about you?  "He was too much for them." 

P.S.  Love your parents!  They are a reflection of God!

Fr. Bill