One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The Season of Lent calls us to consider our values, attitudes, and habits. It challenges us to examine our "way of life."
That last expression seems odd to me as I hear it used in political discussions. At its worst it seems to be code for the Supreme Court's misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, the so-called right to own firearms.
At its best, "our way of life" is evolving so rapidly it defies definition. We are continually assailed by the next big thing and must again invest in some new gadget, learn new code words, and adapt to some new understanding. What everyone knows today was unheard of three years ago. I am sure no two people could agree on a definition of our way of life.
As a people peculiarly God's, we must turn back to the scriptures often and ask, "How should we live? What is our way of life?" We can be reasonably certain that most people don't care what the scriptures say. After Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday they don't pretend to practice Lent, and they'll hardly notice Holy Week or Easter.
Today's gospel of the Two Great Commands offers the most straightforward definition to our way of life. Jesus underlines that with his concluding remark, "There is no other commandment greater than these.”
To observe the first of these two, we begin with daily prayer and weekly attendance at Mass. Just as we eat and drink every day, whether its a workday or one of relaxation, we go to the Lord for refreshment, encouragement, and instruction. The Lord is our pleasure and our privilege; we are no more inclined to neglect our prayer than to neglect our bodily functions.
And daily we take our place in human society. But we don't simply fit in, for we are the salt of the earth and a leaven in the community. We don't have to preach our values continually, but we do have to live and practice them. The Spirit of God is manifest in us.
The two greatest commandments balance one another. If I am inclined to pious enthusiasm so that my manners might become obnoxious and my presence unwelcome, the second commandment reminds me to find my place and belong in the Church. I should be as obedient and docile among God's people as Jesus was in Nazareth. If I am people-oriented and spend all my efforts trying to make peace and please others, the first commandment calls me up short.
I can never satisfy both commands simultaneously; they seem in conflict at times. And the anxiety I suffer between them teaches me humility. These Great Commandments remind me that life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. That is my privilege and my pleasure.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.