Homily (Reflection) for Friday of the Twentieth Week
in Ordinary Time (II) (19th August, 2016) on the Gospel
(Saint John Eudes, P., Opt Mem)
Ezek 37:1-14;
Ps 106:2-9. (R. v.1);Matt 22:34-40.
Topic: Not just the greatest.
The Pharisees gathered and one of them, a lawyer asked Jesus,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He replied by citing
two scriptural passages,
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first
commandment. And a second is like it. ‘You shall love your neighbour as
yourself’ cf. Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18.
The concept of love many have seems to be very far from what Jesus
demands from us. Although the word love often comes out of many mouths yet hatred
keeps escalating. And we always have thousands of reasons why we do not love others
as Jesus commanded.
Jesus asks us to love others as He loves us, cf. Jn 13:34. 15:12. Because of His love for
us, He died for us while we were still sinners, (cf. Rom 5:8), ate from the same bowl with a traitor, (cf. Matt 26:23; Mk 14:18), and even washed his
feet, cf. Jn 13:5-12. Jesus set these
as examples for us to follow, cf. Jn
13:15.
Love therefore is not just the greatest of all the
commandments but also the hardest. It is unconditional and can only be found in
God who is love, cf. 1Jn 4:8, 16. The
best one can find elsewhere are just reflections of love. Although love is truly
the hardest of all the commandments, with God it is possible, cf. Lk 18:27. Whoever wants to truly love must
be in God.
Bible Reading: Rom 5:6-8, 31-39.
Thought for today: God is love (1Jn 4:16).
Let us pray: May God who is love transform us into
loving beings – Amen.
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with others if you consider it worthy.
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