A June solemnity celebrating God’s love for us
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
April showers bring May flowers, the saying might go, but June is the month for roses! During June, I always look forward to visiting our town’s rose garden, where countless varieties of roses burst into bloom, wowing onlookers with their delicate beauty. It’s probably why the birth flower (the botanical equivalent to birthstones) for June is also the rose.
Traditionally, roses have been a symbol of love. Yellow roses are for friendship, pink for joy and appreciation, and red roses are given to those who have a special place in one’s heart.
June may be the month of roses – but it’s also marked by another symbol of love on June 12: the Sacred Heart. Devotion to Christ’s Sacred Heart goes back centuries, and the Sacred Heart has become a central image of God’s love for humanity. In every depiction of the Sacred Heart, Jesus’ heart is engulfed by flames of his love for humanity. Jesus’ heart is also surrounded by a crown of thorns – not from a rose bush, but likely, that of the Ziziphus spina-christi tree – a sign of his willingness to embrace suffering out of love for us.
With the nation’s 250th birthday celebration looming on the horizon (July 4, 2026), our bishops are consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus this month. Consecrating the U.S. to Jesus’ Sacred Heart represents our Catholic affirmation of a truth at the center of who we are as a nation – that all persons are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the same inalienable rights. For us Catholics, human dignity is not determined by laws or one’s government, but by Divine love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the Sacred Heart is the symbol of Jesus’ love for “all human beings without exception.” (Glossary, emphasis added) If we are all loved without exception, then we all have equal dignity, worth and rights as human beings.
In this season of roses, hearts and reminders of Divine love, we’re proposing a familiar Valentine’s Day concoction, popular for its rich red color: Red Velvet Cake! May this decadent dessert remind us to keep love at the center of our hearts and our lives.
Red Velvet Cake
Cake Ingredients
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 1/8 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 2-3 Tbsp. red food coloring gel
• 1 cup buttermilk
Frosting Ingredients
• 16 oz. block cream cheese, room temp
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 8” or 9” cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper circles.
• In medium bowl, sift flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
• In standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium until fluffy, 3-4 min.
• Beat in oil. Add eggs, mixing well between each one. Add vanilla and vinegar, beat until combined.
• Add food coloring until desired color is reached. With mixer on low, add half dry ingredients, beat just until combined. Add buttermilk, then rest of dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pan until easy to handle. Remove, cool completely on wire rack. Remove liners.
Frosting: use electric mixer to beat butter, cream cheese on medium-high until smooth. Add sugar in 2 additions, beating well after each. Add vanilla and salt, beat until smooth and fluffy.
To assemble, set one layer on plate, flat side up (slice rounded top to flatten if necessary).
Evenly spread thick layer of frosting over cake to edge. Top with second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
