Reflect today on the simple call to love God and your neighbor

Da Paolo Tessione - October 25th, 2020

"Teacher, which commandment of the law is the greatest?" Matthew 22:36

This question was posed by one of the law scholars in an attempt to test Jesus. It is clear from the context of this passage that the relationship between Jesus and the religious leaders of his time was beginning to become controversial. They began to test him and even tried to trap him. However, Jesus continued to silence them with his words of wisdom.

In response to the above question, Jesus silences this law student by giving the perfect answer. It says, “You will 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 similar: you will love your neighbor as yourself ”(Matthew 22: 37-39).

With this statement, Jesus provides a complete summary of the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments. The first three commandments reveal that we must love God above all and with all our strength. The last six commandments reveal that we must love our neighbor. God's moral law is as simple as the fulfillment of these two more general commandments.

But is it all that simple? Well, the answer is both "Yes" and "No." It is simple in the sense that God's will is not typically complex and difficult to understand. Love is clearly stated in the Gospels and we are called to embrace a radical life of true love and charity.

However, it can be considered difficult as not only are we called to love, we are called to love with our whole being. We have to give of ourselves completely and without reserve. This is radical and requires not withholding anything.

Reflect today on the simple call to love God and your neighbor with all that you are. Reflect, in particular, on that word "everything". As you do this, you will surely become aware of the ways you fail to give everything. When you see your failure, start the glorious path of making a total gift of yourself to God and others with hope.

Lord, I choose to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. I also choose to love all people as you love them. Give me the grace to live these two commandments of love and to see them as the way to the holiness of life. I love you, dear Lord. Help me love you more. Jesus I believe in you.