SUNDAY OCTOBER 29, 2023
SUNDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR A
Exodus 22:21-27
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Matthew 22:34-40
LOVE: THE CORE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND SERVICE
Hitting the nail on the head, Jesus was not mincing words when he tells us what is the most essential of all in this life. Not minding that the question that they asked was a trap or test for him in order to set him against the Jewish authorities. Yet he went ahead to teach and instruct the people on the path of salvation, the path to life and real value of life, which he anchored on LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF NEIGHBOURS.
In deed, this is the kernel of the whole 613 laws of the Jews. Love of God and love of neighbour sum up all these laws. This left the people speechless, and greatly better informed. But what does it mean? Jesus puts it thus, “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. On these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets.”
Love of God with everything we have,” our heart, soul, and mind.” It means giving all to God, think God always, working and living with the thoughts and reasons only for God alone. It means doing everything in life with the desire to please God and nobody else. It is placing God above all our thoughts, actions and words. And what comes uppermost in this God in our thought, words and action is love.
In actual practice and act, it is followed by loving our neighbours. That whatever love we wish ourselves should first be applied to our neighbours. Love your neighbour as you love yourself.
The first reading breaks it down well in the instructions given by Moses to the people. That love of neighbour means in actual terms as saying, Do not oppress, do not subjugate, do not humiliate, do not stress people and do no harm to anyone. Rather give, show compassion, be humble, simple, infact be loving to people.
Acts of love are very practical, very empirical. You show it, you just do it. It affects the other person near to you. It comes out very naturally, and it goes out to others. And whatever comes out from you and gets to others must be soothening, peaceful, and always tending for the good of the others never to their hurts, or injure and be a disadvantage or something dehumanising. NEVER!
Jesus is very particular about our relationship with people or what he calls the neighbours because he says that on these two commandments hinged the laws and the prophets. Meaning that, love of God and neighbour brings all the teachings, all the prophetic proclamations of the past fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
Jesus has even gone ahead to practically teach us on how to love by his sacrificial death on the cross. And Saint Paul urges the Thessalonian community to be imitators of Christ. He tells them, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”
So by loving we become imitators of Christ, and become examples to the whole world of the mercy, love and kindness of God. Such examples and imitation are challenging, sacrificial, selfless and very self effacing.
Love is the key to better our world, for it brings togetherness, it enhances community, it builds humanity and individuals. It shots down evil, hatred, hurts and divisions. Love is the only thing that shows the presence of God in us. Let us love.
Heavenly Father, you are love, for you loved us and gave yourself for us. Teach us love and how to love. Inspire us to truly love as you loved us and make us disposed and willing to truly love from our hearts without counting the cost through Christ our Lord
Fr Norbert Uchuno
