This Sunday’s Gospel centres on the message of Jesus about love; in fact, on two loves to be united in each of us. Love of God and love of neighbour - this is the only commandment of Jesus. It sums up what Jesus believed life is all about. Without this interconnection, all we say we do for Christ is really done for ourselves. No detail of religious observance is above Jesus’ law of love. Jesus never allowed the laws of religion to overtake the need for love. The message of Jesus is all-embracing and covers all our relationships, including close relationships such as marriage, family and friendship, as well as the call to love the wider world, particularly where the needs are great.
(Adapted from https://www.sacredspace.ie/scripture/matthew-2234-40)
GOSPEL: Matthew 22: 34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
Reflection on Love
Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. (Attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907-1991))
Some focus prompts for reflection:
The fact that Jesus, almost in the same breath, says we are to love God and love our neighbour means that one love is not greater than the other. They are interdependent. By loving God, we love our neighbour. By loving our neighbour, we love God.
How are we called to love God and neighbour this week? Could it be through the practice of gratitude?
Prayer:
O God, may our hearts be softened, transformed and inspired to love as Jesus loves. No conditions, no excuses, no favourites, no judgements, no hoops, no seeking rewards. We long for this transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Adapted from CESA Staff Spiritual and Religious Formation Team)