Love One Another

                   6th Sunday of Easter

                  A cycle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, as we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we are turning a corner. Instead of looking back to the Resurrection, the readings are looking ahead to the departure of Jesus that we will celebrate this coming week on Ascension Thursday; and the coming of the Holy Spirit in just two weeks on Pentecost Sunday.

 

The first reading relates the success of Philip in the conversion of many in the land of Samaria. Remember that Jesus had claimed that his disciples would be able to perform the same signs and miracles that he had done if they would preach in his Name. The crowds in Samaria listened and believed Philip because they “heard and saw the signs that he was doing.”

 

Philip was one of the new deacons who were appointed to assist the Apostles in their work. Philip’s success seemed to confirm the words of Jesus that his word would spread from Judea to Samaria and then to the ends of the world. On hearing the good news the apostles in Jerusalem send Peter and John to investigate, pray, and confirm the new converts in their faith. In the account we witness one of the early instances of the sacrament of Confirmation. Peter and John “laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”

 

At this time of the year successors of the first Apostles continue to administer the sacrament of Confirmation to young men and women all over the world. Most of the newly confirmed will be in their early teens, that often difficult period of transition between childhood and adulthood. It may be difficult for them to think that anything real has happened at Confirmation. After all, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and not a creature of flesh and blood. The Spirit is not accessible by our senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste or smell.

 

How can they and we discover the Spirit in our lives? Maybe the answer can be found in today’s gospel reading. At the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In the next sentence he says that He will ask the Father to give them an Advocate, the Spirit of truth. In other words, the coming of the Spirit is linked with keeping the commandments.

 

Most of us are familiar with the Ten Commandments that were given to the Hebrew people at the time of Moses. They included commands like honor thy father and mother; do not kill; do not commit adultery; do not steal; and do not bear false witness. Jesus was certainly aware of these commandments but he insisted that one commandment was above them all. His command was simply to love one another. In another part of John’s gospel Jesus also commanded us to love one another in the same way that He loved us. In other words, He was urging us to seek a selfless and self-giving love.

 

I don’t think teenagers or anyone else today would object to this command. We all want to love and to be loved. We all need love, and someone to love. However, we all know that it is easy to turn our backs on love. It has always been easy to just think of ourselves, talk about ourselves, and do for ourselves. 

 

Love or charity puts the other commandments in a new light. It has often been said that charity begins at home but it might be better to say that it should begin at home. How often do we fail to honor our father and mother?  How often do we show anger and bitterness toward our brothers and sisters? How often do we take from them what is theirs? How often do we deceive the ones we should love the most?

 

We like to think that it is natural for us to love but we all need help. Where can we find it? 

 

In today’s gospel Jesus promised that he would not leave us alone.

 

“And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,

because it neither sees nor knows him.”

 

In today’s second reading St. Peter advises us to be prepared to defend our faith.

 

Always be ready to give an explanation

To anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…

 

Our reason for hope is that God is Love and that He has commanded us to love one another as He loved us. If some say there is no God, we say that God is love. If some say, we cannot believe in a God who allows such pain and suffering in the world, we say that during his time on earth Jesus worked to heal pain and suffering wherever he found it, and commanded us to follow his example out of love. At his Ascension He told us that the work of love was up to us but that His Spirit would always be there to assist us on the journey of love.

It is true that the Spirit will often come to us in ways we do not see or understand. It will most often come to us from those we love the most and who love us the most. Today is Mother's Day and there is no greater love than the love of a mother for her child. Even children eventually come to realize that the commands or rules imposed on them by their mothers come from love. 

 

###

Reading 1.Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17

Reading II. 1 Peter 3: 15-18

Gospel. John 14: 15-21 (keep my commandments). 

Love of Neighbor

            

Today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy contains the famous saying that every Jew would have known by heart during the time of Jesus. 

Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!

Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, 

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your strength.

How were the Jews to love God, the God who had delivered them from their captivity in Egypt? Moses told them to keep the statutes and commandments which the Lord had given them. We know that after the time of Moses the original Ten Commandments had grown to more than 600, an incredible array of do’s and don’ts that put a great burden on the people.

However, in today’s gospel passage a Jewish scholar asked Jesus  “Which is the first of all the commandments?” As usual, Jesus chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law. In his reply Jesus combined two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first that we heard above from Deuteronomy, and the second from Leviticus, 19: 18. 

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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

He combined them because his life and mission showed that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

How do we love a God who we cannot see or hear? Jesus insisted over and over again that we love God in loving our neighbor. Perhaps mystics and great saints can see more directly but for ordinary people the more we love our neighbor, the more we love God.

But who is our neighbor? Please notice that Jesus did not tell us to love everyone willy- nilly. I once heard a story of a man who loved mankind in general but despised every individual he ever met. A feeling of love for humanity in general is not what Jesus talked about. On the contrary, Jesus always directed his love at individuals directly in front of him. He really meant it when he said love your neighbor.

Our closest neighbors are those entrusted to our care: our parents, our spouses, our children, our sisters and brothers. If we can’t love them, who can we love? It is really sad sometimes to see people neglect their own families for the sake of some seemingly noble cause. 

Loving those closest to us means helping to lift  the burdens that life has placed on them. As children we often thought that our parents were placing unnecessary burdens on us, but we rarely thought about the burden we placed on their shoulders. How often did we neglect to pitch in and help? Why do husbands and wives often make each other’s life harder when it is so much easier to share the load? Even Seniors, who should know better, often place unnecessary burdens on their grown children.

What are friends for, if not to help us share the burdens of life? What kind of love is it that constantly makes demands on others without lifting a finger to help? Actually, the more we love those closest to us, the more will we be able to love others. 

We know that Jesus extended the very meaning of neighbor. In the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? It was the Samaritan who cared for the Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed despite the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. It is hard to imagine the Samaritan stopping on the road to help a stranger in distress without believing that he had experienced real love and caring in his own family and neighborhood.

Jesus showed us that the way to love God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. 

### 

Reading 1.  Deuteronomy 6: 2-6

Reading II. Hebrews 7: 23-28

Gospel. Mark 12: 28-34 (The Great Commandments)  

Love Thy Neighbor

                  30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                  A cycle

 

      

 

Today’s readings deal with the true spirit of Jewish law, the law that Jesus came not to abolish, but to fulfill. In today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus we see that the commandments of the law required aid and support of the weak and powerless. 

 

Aliens or people displaced from their homeland are deserving of protection. The Lord reminds his people that they themselves were once aliens. Widows and orphans were also vulnerable in a society where a father or husband was the sole means of support and protection for women and children. The Lord reminds his people that their wives and children could also be left out in the cold. The Lord also commands his people to help their needy neighbors, and not drive them further into poverty and misery.

 

In the past few weeks we have been going through chapter 22 of the gospel of Matthew, a chapter that describes the increasing tension between Jesus and the various Jewish leaders. Initially, Jesus had been critical of them for their failure to be faithful to the true spirit of Jewish law. 

 

In return they resorted to plotting against Jesus by trying to get him to say something that will either get him into trouble with the Roman authorities, or cause the Jewish populace to turn against him. Although they couldn’t stand each other, each faction takes their own shot at Jesus. Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees all try to trip him up.

 

In today’s gospel passage they ask him “which commandment in the law is he greatest?” Jesus knew that scholars had counted over six hundred commandments in the Law but, as usual, he chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law.

 

      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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

In his reply Jesus combines two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first from Deuteronomy 6:5, and the second from Leviticus 19: 18ff. He combines them because his whole life and mission was to show that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

 

Moreover, in his teaching Jesus also extended the very meaning of neighbor. We recall that in the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? In our Lord’s time, just as in the days of the Exodus, neighbor had a very narrow meaning. Every people, every city, every tribe, every family was at odds with one another. We see in the gospels that not only would the Jews have nothing to do with strangers, but also that they were constantly bickering among themselves. 

 

Of course, the Jewish people were surrounded by people who behaved even worse. Today, despite the words of our Lord, things do not seem to be much better. In many places it seems like only a brutal dictatorship can keep people from cutting each other’s throats. It is hard for us to imagine the animosity among the different factions in the world.

 

It is also hard for us to imagine how people could believe that they are serving God by brutally beheading alien captives, raping their wives, and selling their orphaned children into slavery. Have we made any progress from the time of the Exodus? 

 

Sadly, it is the followers of Jesus who are enduring the greatest persecution. In fact, the persecution of Christians throughout the world today is far greater than at any time in the past. These people are being dispossessed from their homes, tortured, and even murdered for their belief in Christ. They are the true heirs of the Thessalonians that St. Paul praises in today’s second reading. They are the “imitators of the Lord,” and “a model for all believers.”

 

To love someone means to be willing to give all for him or her. After all, what can we really give to God who has given us everything? Jesus has shown us that the way to loving God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. We may not have to suffer the cruel martyrdom of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but we are still called to give our lives in the service of others.

###

 

Reading 1. Exodus: 22: 20-26

Reading II. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5c-10

Gospel. Matthew 22: 34-40 (Love Your Neighbor) 

Love of Neighbor

            

Today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy contains the famous saying that every Jew would have known by heart during the time of Jesus. 

Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!

Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, 

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your strength.

How were the Jews to love God, the God who had delivered them from their captivity in Egypt? Moses told them to keep the statutes and commandments which the Lord had given them. We know that after the time of Moses the original Ten Commandments had grown to more than 600, an incredible array of do’s and don’ts that put a great burden on the people.

However, in today’s gospel passage a Jewish scholar asked Jesus  “Which is the first of all the commandments?” As usual, Jesus chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law. In his reply Jesus combined two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first that we heard above from Deuteronomy, and the second from Leviticus, 19: 18. 

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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

He combined them because his life and mission showed that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

How do we love a God who we cannot see or hear? Jesus insisted over and over again that we love God in loving our neighbor. Perhaps mystics and great saints can see more directly but for ordinary people the more we love our neighbor, the more we love God.

But who is our neighbor? Please notice that Jesus did not tell us to love everyone willy- nilly. I once heard a story of a man who loved mankind in general but despised every individual he ever met. A feeling of love for humanity in general is not what Jesus talked about. On the contrary, Jesus always directed his love at individuals directly in front of him. He really meant it when he said love your neighbor.

Our closest neighbors are those entrusted to our care: our parents, our spouses, our children, our sisters and brothers. If we can’t love them, who can we love? It is really sad sometimes to see people neglect their own families for the sake of some seemingly noble cause. 

Loving those closest to us means helping to lift  the burdens that life has placed on them. As children we often thought that our parents were placing unnecessary burdens on us, but we rarely thought about the burden we placed on their shoulders. How often did we neglect to pitch in and help? Why do husbands and wives often make each other’s life harder when it is so much easier to share the load? Even Seniors, who should know better, often place unnecessary burdens on their grown children.

What are friends for, if not to help us share the burdens of life? What kind of love is it that constantly makes demands on others without lifting a finger to help? Actually, the more we love those closest to us, the more will we be able to love others. 

We know that Jesus extended the very meaning of neighbor. In the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? It was the Samaritan who cared for the Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed despite the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. It is hard to imagine the Samaritan stopping on the road to help a stranger in distress without believing that he had experienced real love and caring in his own family and neighborhood.

Jesus showed us that the way to love God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. 

### 

Reading 1.  Deuteronomy 6: 2-6

Reading II. Hebrews 7: 23-28

Gospel. Mark 12: 28-34 (The Great Commandments) 

My Yoke is Easy

                       22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

                    

 

       

In today’s first reading Moses commands the people of Israel to observe the statutes and decrees of the Lord. He says,

 

Observe them carefully,

for thus will you give evidence 

of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, 

who will hear of all these statutes and say

‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’

 

We live in a world today where people do not like rules and regulations. In many cases this attitude springs from our love of liberty and self-determination. But it can also happen that rules and regulations become outmoded and fail to achieve their original purpose. A respect for custom and tradition can be a good thing but sometimes we can take it to extremes.

 

The Pharisees and scribes made up a small percentage of the Jewish population but Jesus singled them out for most of his criticism. Not only were they noted for their slavish devotion to all the precepts of the Law, but also they were quick to criticize those who did not measure up to their high standards. Time and time again Jesus rebukes them for laying heavy, even impossible burdens on people.

 

In today’s gospel the Pharisees had criticized the disciples of Jesus for not washing their hands before eating in that same way that parents today might criticize their own children. Now, there is nothing wrong with washing before meals. It is what Jesus called a human precept or tradition. It serves a very basic sanitary purpose but it is not a divine command.

 

Moreover, when the Pharisees measured themselves and others by their adherence to such rules and rituals, they ignored much more important things. Jesus called them hypocrites: they said one thing but did another. He quoted the prophet Isaiah:

 

This people honors me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines human precepts.

 

The Pharisees are still with us today. Indeed, we can say that we all have some Pharisee within us. Just the fact that it is so easy to judge other people is a sign. Jesus told us “to judge not, that you may not be judged,” but that does not stop us from judging. How often do we blame or criticize others when we don’t know the whole story or both sides of the issue?

 

We Catholics are especially prone to elevating human precepts and traditions into divine commandments. We tend to think that the prayers and rituals of our childhood are the only way to worship. It is hard for us to understand that as times change, even beautiful devotions can become obsolete. We rightfully fill our churches with beautiful paintings and statues but not only can they become outmoded but also our devotion to them can obscure their real purpose.

 

We can follow all the rules and regulations but what good does it do if from our hearts “come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly?”

 

Jesus gave very few commands and said that his yoke was easy and his burden light. About worship, he offered thanks and gave us his flesh and blood on Calvary and in the Mass, which he told us to do in memory of Him. His simple commands were to love God, and one another: a love that meant serving one another.

 

In today’s second reading, the Apostle James, one of his closest followers, gave the definition of true religion.

 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:

to care for orphans and widows in their affliction

and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

 

 

###

Reading 1.  Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8

Reading II. James 1: 17-18, 21b -22, 27

Gospel. Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (All these evils come from within)

The Greatest Commandments

                            30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                           

 

         

 

Today’s readings deal with the true spirit of Jewish law, the law that Jesus came not to abolish, but to fulfill. In today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus we see that the commandments of the law required aid and support of the weak and powerless.

 

Aliens or people displaced from their homeland are deserving of protection. The Lord reminds his people that they themselves were once aliens. Widows and orphans were also vulnerable in a society where a father or husband was the sole means of support and protection for women and children. The Lord reminds his people that their wives and children could also be left out in the cold. The Lord also commands his people to help their needy neighbors, and not drive them further into poverty and misery.

 

In the past few weeks we have been going through chapter 22 of the gospel of Matthew, a chapter that describes the increasing tension between Jesus and the various Jewish leaders. Initially, Jesus had been critical of them for their failure to be faithful to the true spirit of Jewish law. 

 

In return they resorted to plotting against Jesus by trying to get him to say something that will either get him into trouble with the Roman authorities, or cause the Jewish populace to turn against him. Although they couldn’t stand each other, each faction takes their own shot at Jesus. Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees all try to trip him up.

 

In today’s gospel passage they ask him “which commandment in the law is he greatest?” Jesus knew that scholars had counted over six hundred commandments in the Law but, as usual, he chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law.

 

         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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

In his reply Jesus combines two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first from Deuteronomy 6:5, and the second from Leviticus 19: 18ff. He combines them because his whole life and mission was to show that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

 

Moreover, in his teaching Jesus also extended the very meaning of neighbor. We recall that in the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? In our Lord’s time, just as in the days of the Exodus, neighbor had a very narrow meaning. Every people, every city, every tribe, every family was at odds with one another. We see in the gospels that not only would the Jews have nothing to do with strangers, but also that they were constantly bickering among themselves. 

 

Of course, the Jewish people were surrounded by people who behaved even worse. Today, despite the words of our Lord, things do not seem to be much better. In many places it seems like only a brutal dictatorship can keep people from cutting each other’s throats. It is hard for us to imagine the animosity among the different factions in the world.

 

It is also hard for us to imagine how people could believe that they are serving God by brutally beheading alien captives, raping their wives, and selling their orphaned children into slavery. Have we made any progress from the time of the Exodus? 

 

Sadly, it is the followers of Jesus who are enduring the greatest persecution. In fact, the persecution of Christians throughout the world today is far greater than at any time in the past. These people are being dispossessed from their homes, tortured, and even murdered for their belief in Christ. They are the true heirs of the Thessalonians that St. Paul praises in today’s second reading. They are the “imitators of the Lord,” and “a model for all believers.”

 

To love someone means to be willing to give all for him or her. After all, what can we really give to God who has given us everything? Jesus has shown us that the way to loving God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. We may not have to suffer the cruel martyrdom of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but we are still called to give our lives in the service of others.

 

###

Reading 1. Exodus: 22: 20-26

Reading II. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5c-10

Gospel. Matthew 22: 34-40 (Love Your Neighbor)

The Greatest Commandment

                                    31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

                              

            

Today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy contains the famous saying that every Jew would have known by heart during the time of Jesus. 

Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!

Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, 

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your strength.

How were the Jews to love God, the God who had delivered them from their captivity in Egypt? Moses told them to keep the statutes and commandments which the Lord had given them. We know that after the time of Moses the original Ten Commandments had grown to more than 600, an incredible array of do’s and don’ts that put a great burden on the people.

However, in today’s gospel passage a Jewish scholar asked Jesus  “Which is the first of all the commandments?” As usual, Jesus chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law. In his reply Jesus combined two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first that we heard above from Deuteronomy, and the second from Leviticus, 19: 18. 

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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

He combined them because his life and mission showed that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

How do we love a God who we cannot see or hear? Jesus insisted over and over again that we love God in loving our neighbor. Perhaps mystics and great saints can see more directly but for ordinary people the more we love our neighbor, the more we love God.

But who is our neighbor? Please notice that Jesus did not tell us to love everyone willy- nilly. I once heard a story of a man who loved mankind in general but despised every individual he ever met. A feeling of love for humanity in general is not what Jesus talked about. On the contrary, Jesus always directed his love at individuals directly in front of him. He really meant it when he said love your neighbor.

Our closest neighbors are those entrusted to our care: our parents, our spouses, our children, our sisters and brothers. If we can’t love them, who can we love? It is really sad sometimes to see people neglect their own families for the sake of some seemingly noble cause. 

Loving those closest to us means helping to lift  the burdens that life has placed on them. As children we often thought that our parents were placing unnecessary burdens on us, but we rarely thought about the burden we placed on their shoulders. How often did we neglect to pitch in and help? Why do husbands and wives often make each other’s life harder when it is so much easier to share the load? Even Seniors, who should know better, often place unnecessary burdens on their grown children.

What are friends for, if not to help us share the burdens of life? What kind of love is it that constantly makes demands on others without lifting a finger to help? Actually, the more we love those closest to us, the more will we be able to love others. 

We know that Jesus extended the very meaning of neighbor. In the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? It was the Samaritan who cared for the Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed despite the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. It is hard to imagine the Samaritan stopping on the road to help a stranger in distress without believing that he had experienced real love and caring in his own family and neighborhood.

Jesus showed us that the way to love God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. 

### 

Reading 1.  Deuteronomy 6: 2-6

Reading II. Hebrews 7: 23-28

Gospel. Mark 12: 28-34 (The Great Commandments)

Love Thy Neighbor

                           30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                        

       

Today’s readings deal with the true spirit of Jewish law, the law that Jesus came not to abolish, but to fulfill. In today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus we see that the commandments of the law required aid and support of the weak and powerless.

Aliens or people displaced from their homeland are deserving of protection. The Lord reminds his people that they themselves were once aliens. Widows and orphans were also vulnerable in a society where a father or husband was the sole means of support and protection for women and children. The Lord reminds his people that their wives and children could also be left out in the cold. The Lord also commands his people to help their needy neighbors, and not drive them further into poverty and misery.

In the past few weeks we have been going through chapter 22 of the gospel of Matthew, a chapter that describes the increasing tension between Jesus and the various Jewish leaders. Initially, Jesus had been critical of them for their failure to be faithful to the true spirit of Jewish law.

In return they resorted to plotting against Jesus by trying to get him to say something that will either get him into trouble with the Roman authorities, or cause the Jewish populace to turn against him. Although they couldn’t stand each other, each faction takes their own shot at Jesus. Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees all try to trip him up.

In today’s gospel passage they ask him “which commandment in the law is he greatest?” Jesus knew that scholars had counted over six hundred commandments in the Law but, as usual, he chose to simplify and get right to the true spirit of the Law.

         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 first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

In his reply Jesus combines two verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first from Deuteronomy 6:5, and the second from Leviticus 19: 18ff. He combines them because his whole life and mission was to show that the love of God and the love of neighbor went hand in hand. One is not possible without the other.

Moreover, in his teaching Jesus also extended the very meaning of neighbor. We recall that in the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, he asked, “who was neighbor to the man”? In our Lord’s time, just as in the days of the Exodus, neighbor had a very narrow meaning. Every people, every city, every tribe, every family was at odds with one another. We see in the gospels that not only would the Jews have nothing to do with strangers, but also that they were constantly bickering among themselves.

Of course, the Jewish people were surrounded by people who behaved even worse. Today, despite the words of our Lord, things do not seem to be much better. In places like Syria and Iraq it seems like only a brutal dictatorship can keep people from cutting each other’s throats. It is hard for us to imagine the animosity among the different factions in that world.

It is also hard for us to imagine how people could believe that they are serving God by brutally beheading alien captives, raping their wives, and selling their orphaned children into slavery. Have we made any progress from the time of the Exodus?

Sadly, it is the followers of Jesus who are enduring the greatest persecution. In fact, the persecution of Christians throughout the world today is far greater than at any time in the past. These people are being dispossessed from their homes, tortured, and even murdered for  their belief in Christ. They are the true heirs of the Thessalonians that St. Paul praises in today’s second reading. They are the “imitators of the Lord,” and “a model for all believers.”

To love someone means to be willing to give all for him or her. After all, what can we really give to God who has given us everything? Jesus has shown us that the way to love God is through the love of our neighbor. All that we do for those entrusted to our care and protection, we do for Him. We may not have to suffer the cruel martyrdom of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but we are still called to give our lives in the service of others.

###

Reading 1. Exodus: 22: 20-26

Reading II. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5c-10

Gospel. Matthew 22: 34-40 (Love Your Neighbor)