THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
First Reading: Deuteronomy 6: 2-6
Second Reading: Hebrews 7: 23-28
Gospel Reading: Mark 12: 28-34
*First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses asks the people of Israel to love the Lord their God to obey His commandments and to walk in His ways. He instructs them that the Lord God wants their wholehearted obedience to His commandments and not mere lip service to Him. If they do so, he promises them that the Lord God will bless them abundantly and will give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
*Second reading is from the letter to Hebrews. Jesus is exemplified as the perfect High Priest, holy and blameless, who offered Himself once and for all, for sinners. He continues to intercede for them. It is not necessary for Him to offer sacrifices daily like the other high priests who are appointed by the law. Those appointed by the law are weak in nature.
Love of God and love of neighbour Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A Scribe puts an important question to Jesus: "Which is the greatest commandment?" The answer to this question could be innumerable. In His answer, Jesus gives not one but two commandments. He says: "Love your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul," which is a quote from the book of Deuteronomy. Then Jesus adds a verse from the book of Leviticus: "And you shall love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus' simple statements embrace everything we need to do to serve God. Every action in our lives is included in these two laws. He demands a radical change in our attitudes and actions. When we love other people, we are loving people in the image and likeness of God. We cannot love God and hate others. First of all, the love of God demands a wholehearted commitment from us. It does not begin and end with Sunday services but rather, God becomes the center and source of our very being. Secondly, love of neighbour means a goodwill that is boundless and extends to those for whom we have no personal liking and who may not even belong to our family, clan or nationality. The perfect example of the love of our neighbour is elaborated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Hence for Jesus, love of one's neighbour has no boundaries or barriers. In other words, love of God and love of neighbour are two sides of the same coin. Love of God cannot exist without love of neighbour and vice-versa. Hence today Jesus reminds us that there are really only two commandments. The first is to love God and the second is to love our neighbour. They are not meant to be mutually exclusive. But we often separate them. It is contrary to the Gospel. It is a tragedy of our times that many people who have faith often have no love for others. Whereas some who have love often have no faith. A seeker wrote the following: 'I went to the mountains to seek wisdom, but did not find it. I went to the sea to seek peace, but did not find it. I went to the temple to seek God, but did not find Him. Finally, I went to serve my neighbour and I found all the three.' God in His infinite wisdom has bestowed on us the great power to love where mere matter - our mind, our intellect, our will and our whole self - is spontaneously transformed to the immense love of God and the love of our neighour. Jesus is inviting us to follow this instinct of love. In this context St. Teresa of Calcutta says: "How can I love God and not care for His image?" And Matthew 25: 40 says: "Whatsoever you do to the least of these my brothers you do to me." May the Lord Jesus, who gave His very life out of love for humankind inspire you to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. Amen.
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