31st Sunday of Ordinary Times

The Jewish religious leaders at the time of Jesus would often discuss which of their 613 laws in the Torah was the most important. They asked Jesus’ opinion and Jesus answered that love is the spirit behind all of them. If we follow the command of love, we will keep the others. Just as Moses instructed the people to fear the Lord, to keep his laws and to follow and love God above all else; So Jesus gave us two commandments, the love of God, and the love of neighbor, to show that the two are inseparable. Jesus, by story and example, expanded the definition of neighbor to include not just one’s family and friends, but also one’s enemies, as well as those with whom one disagrees and those we dislike. Jesus loves us and wants us to love ourselves as we love God and neighbor. Love is a matter of what one does rather than what one feels.

               Again, Jesus, by refusing to stop with the first commandment and by joining two directives, is saying that to follow Him is not just (enough) to be in a relationship with God. We need to also love ourselves and others. Salvation is not only between me and God but is lived out in community, with others and with myself. When we grow in love we are learning to reach out to others and this is a sign of maturity.

               The letter to the Hebrews, our second reading reminds us that through the priesthood of Jesus, we are brought into communion with God who is love. Therefore, Jesus is available to us, and is always able to save those who approach God through him. Basically, love for God is a matter of giving God our trust, our time and our obedience. Jesus gave us a reliable measure of our love for God when he told us: “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” One 15 year old boy summed up the feelings of many youths when he gave this as his reason for helping others: “I feel simply must, because of a little voice in me called my conscience.” Draw a picture that represents why you are having a difficult time loving a particular person. The picture can be of how you see the person or the circumstances that are creating the difficulty. Show the picture to Jesus and ask him to help you learn the true meaning of love. St. Mother Teresa said, “I give what I have. If I have money, I use it, but if not I can still give of myself. I can give love and concern and that is what people need most.”