Love God and Neighbor

 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Mk 12:28

One of the tasks of the great Rabbis was to reduce the entire law and prophets to as few words as possible without losing the power and love of the entire Torah. Jesus’ response to the question: which commandment in the law is the greatest is unique in two ways. First, no other rabbi suggests that love of God and love of neighbor are equally important because love of God is not enough by itself, but neither is love of neighbor sufficient by itself. Prior to Jesus, the rabbis talked about certain prescriptions of the law as heavy or light. Love of neighbor, while important, was considered light, while love of God was considered heavy. Jesus tells his listeners that both love of God and love of neighbor are heavy, that is, vitally important aspects of the Good news as he interprets it.

Jesus also challenges the traditional rabbinic understanding of neighbor. The rabbis taught that while all Israelites deserved love as neighbors, those outside the covenant only merited compassion. Jesus rejects this understanding and  insists that the Torah demands that Jews love everyone as their neighbor. The good news is for all. There are no outsiders in God's love and this remains the challenge for believers today. How we live this command will determine how others understand the Gospel.

Today, ask God for the gift of knowing deep in your heart that God is always with you.

Do you believe and act in a way that convinces others that love of God and love of neighbor are equally important?

We are all called to Mission

"Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness." Mt 10:1

The call of the Apostles is a simple, but important, moment in the gospel narrative.  After praying all night, Jesus calls 12 of his disciples and names them apostles, a term that means “sent.”  From the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, therefore, there is a sense that the mission of Jesus is bigger than we might have first imagined.  Twelve apostles, all of whom except John were married, will be sent into the world to proclaim the glory of God in Jesus and build the Kingdom. While they might begin with the 12 tribes of Israel, Luke will soon make it clear that their mission is to the entire world, not just to the Jewish community.  Even after acknowledging the magnitude of this mission, there remains in me a nagging question.  What happened to their wives?  

I realize that my question is a modern one, and clearly not the first concern of the gospel writer, but it is important for us I think because marriage is so central of our self understanding as Catholic Christians. This past weekend I had the great privilege and pleasure to meet with a young couple preparing for marriage.     

The young couple’s love is so fresh, so active that I could not help but be delighted with their care for one another and their desire to prepare for marriage with integrity and joy.  As we talked about their marriage ceremony it was clear to me that they wanted their wedding both to witness to their particular love and prepare them for a life together. Their wedding ceremony was not simply a hoop through which they had to jump, but a symbol of what they hoped to become. As we chatted, it became clear to me that the like the apostles, this couple has a mission.

Today, pray for those preparing for marriage.

How can we better young couples for marriage?

We are God's Sheep

"At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd." Mt 9:36

Jesus seems always able to summon mercy and understanding when meeting the poor and broken. Somehow he sees those most in need with compassionate eyes and heart, and responds to them without judgement. While Jesus can be hard on those who should know better, he seems never to dismiss the struggling. In fact, the scripture tells us that he sees them as sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus' mercy can easily be taken advantage of, but only those trying to control the world worry about this. While some of us will surely risk living an unfocused life thinking they have nothing about which to worry since Jesus promises undying love to all even the biggest sinner, Jesus continually seeks out sinners, inviting them to reconciliation and new life.

As C.S. Lewis reminds us in An Examined Life, "God was the hunter and I was the deer. He stalked me, . . . took unerring aim and fired,"(1). Captured by God's love, we find ourselves spending more time being grateful than worrying about our past faults, and discover, to our delight and God's, that we have very little time for wrong doing and sin. Filled with gratitude for all that God is and does, our joyful and free spirits shout Good News.

Today, ask forgiveness of God and move forward.

Which of your faults and sins do you find most difficult to avoid?

God espouses us!

 "I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD." Hos 2:22

Hosea's prophecy is stunning in its directness and imagery. God is a bridegroom, newly in love with his Bride, and anxious to commit himself to his people forever without measuring the cost. God's love for us, his holy people, is full of justice and mercy and assures us that we shall always know him in this manner.

There is, however, a danger we must avoid. Knowing that God's love is unconditional and forever can cause us to take God for granted. Knowing God will always be near, waiting like a Bridegroom for us to respond, we can fail to discipline ourselves at prayer or ignore the needs of the poor, both practices demanded by the Bridegroom. When we do this, we cheat ourselves and God's beloved of the fruits of God's love.

Today, pay extra attention to someone you have been taking for granted.

What image of God is most strengthening to your faith?