Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6 For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. 10 Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The parable of the lost sheep reveals the tenderness of God’s love, and St. Paul in Romans 5:5b–11 reveals its cost. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is not only the image of a seeking shepherd, but of a Savior who proves His love by dying for the undeserving. In this passage, Paul proclaims that God's love is not earned, but poured out—freely and sacrificially—through Christ's death and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The passage begins by declaring, “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (v. 5). This is not merely a human awareness of love, but a divine infusion of love that comes through grace. Paul anchors this in the Cross: “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (v. 8).
Here we encounter one of the clearest statements in the New Testament of what theologians call the initiative of grace: God does not wait for us to become worthy. Rather, in our weakness, ungodliness, and even enmity (vv. 6, 10), He acts to save us. This unconditional love—rooted not in our merits but in God's mercy—is what the Sacred Heart reveals: not sentimentality, but a burning love that overcomes sin and death.
Paul’s argument builds from lesser to greater: if Christ died for us while we were sinners, how much more will we now be saved by His life (v. 10). The reference to being “justified by his blood” (v. 9) alludes to the Old Testament covenant sacrifices, especially the Day of Atonement (cf. Lev 16), where blood was offered for the forgiveness of sin. But Christ’s offering is perfect, definitive, and eternal, reconciling us not temporarily but eternally. As the Letter to the Hebrews declares, “by this ‘will,’ we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated” (Heb 10:10, 14). This single sacrifice does not fade with time—it continues to sanctify those who respond to God’s grace.
The passage culminates in joy: “We even boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (v. 11). This echoes Jesus’ words in Luke 15: “there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Lk 15:7). The love that seeks the lost sheep in Luke is the same love that bleeds on the Cross in Romans—a love that not only forgives but restores communion with God.
This Sacred Heart, pierced and poured out, is not only an image of divine love but its living reality, offered in the sacraments, dwelling in the Church, and poured into every believer. This love poured out through the Cross is not a new invention, but the fulfillment of a promise God made long ago—to come Himself and shepherd His people. That promise is echoed in the words of the prophet Ezekiel.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced for our sins and burning with love for us, pour Your grace into our hearts. Help us to receive Your mercy with humility and share Your love with others in gratitude and joy. Amen!
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Bernard Orchard et al. (1953), comments on Romans 5.
- The Navarre Bible: Romans and Galatians, Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018), commentary on Romans 5:1–11.
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown, Fitzmyer, and Murphy (1990), commentary on Romans.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§598–604, 1432, 1825.
- Leviticus 16; Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16; John 19:34; Luke 15:3–7; Hebrews 10:10–14; 1 John 4:10.
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