The great two commandments
Saturday 24th October 2020
The gospel, Matthew 22:34-40, emphasises the two commandments which Jesus described as the greatest - love of God and love of neighbour. No matter how often we hear these words we are struck by the demands they put on us. Jesus brings together the love of God and love of our neighbour as something inseparable like two sides of a coin. Love of God is false if it is not complemented by the love of the people whom we encounter every day. Loving our neighbour as ourselves is a necessary element in giving our hearts and minds to God and that is where the challenge lies. It is wonderful in theory but difficult to put in practice.
It can be challenging when the people next door are intrusive and others downright bad mannered, and perhaps with a workmate who is trying on our nerves. It demands great effort and yet more often than not, we meet God in such an encounter. God cares about how we treat others. Everyone is made in His image and likeness. Let us have a good look of our lives. To profess that we love God while remaining indifferent to the plight of others is a contradiction. We all want love to be a thornless rose, smooth to touch, but if we are following Christ we will find that it involves sacrifice and the shadow of the cross. Very few expect to find love in weakness, powerlessness and suffering and yet that is the heart of Christ's message to the world. This gospel is not an ideal to be admired, but a way of life to be lived.
Stay healthy!
Fr. Arsenio