Ex 22:20-26
1 Thes 1:5c-10
Mt 22:34-40

Love of God and Neighbor

The readings for this Sunday are a clear call to love. We are told in the first reading how we are to treat other people, especially the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. St. Paul in the second reading reminds us that we should live in such a way that we show we are followers of Jesus. In the gospel Jesus gives us the Great Commandment to love God and others with everything we have and are. It is clear that we can’t just love God part time, we have to love God all the time. We can’t just be good to our neighbor sometimes, we have to treat our neighbors in the same way that we care for ourselves. The heart of Christian life is to love God fully, completely, and to love others as unique reflections of God’s love.

The first reading from Exodus reminds us about our care for others. “Thus says the LORD: “You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.” The author goes on to point out other negative actions to avoid and ends up with God saying God is compassionate to all. In the second reading, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they “became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth …” So too our example is important as we live out the law of love.

Matthew’s gospel has Jesus quoting one of the most famous sections of the New Testament. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus 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 neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” This “Golden Rule” is the standard for all Christians to make their own and live it out every day of their lives. We know this is the ideal, and also know it is not easy to follow. Effort does count!

We identify God as Love. God always loves us without reservations whether we return that love or not. If we do love God, our love can never match God’s love for us, but we are to respond in love to the best of our ability. Think of the love of a parent for her child. A mother doesn’t choose when to love the child. Her love is constant and is there all the time. If the child does something wrong she doesn’t stop loving the child. God’s love for us is even greater than that because there is nothing we can do to cause God to stop loving us. It is we who sometimes choose to limit our love or to stop loving God and even ourselves.

We also are told to love others as we love and care for ourselves. That’s way easier said than done, especially if the other person caused hurt in some way. In spite of the hurt we need to pray for that person asking God to make him/her a better person, a person who comes closer to God. It also helps at those times of hurt to try to deepen our own relationship with God so we come closer to experiencing God’s love for us.     

We live in a society today that is filled with violence, cheating, tearing others down, war, drugs, etc. Love is needed more than ever. As Christians we must bring love to our world that so desperately needs it. Your words and actions can be a reflection of God’s love and your own personal caring. Bring love to your environment and to all you meet. The choice is always available and the yes or no is ours alone. Always choose Love and to love.. 

What action have you taken lately to show that you love your neighbors?

Who needs your help in the world today?

Who do you consider your neighbors? Do you include those you have strong disagreements with?