Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
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.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Hugh & Ellie Forker RIP.
Reflection:
The ‘L’ in Lent, for me, is Love. It is what moved our Lord to become like one of us to save us. It is the core of His Gospel. It should be the driving force in our Lenten observance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Without love, Lent loses its meaning. In today’s Gospel, Jesus told a scribe which is the first of all the commandments. He also mentioned which is the second. Notice that the love of God and the love of neighbour go hand in hand. Indeed, as St John wrote “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20).
Lent is a perfect time to rediscover how much God loves us and to return that love to Him. Doing so, as St Catherine once wrote, “lover is transformed into beloved”. As we are transformed from lover to beloved, we will “become one with Him through love and desire…will love what God loves and hate what God hates” (St Catherine of Siena). Jesus showed us the way in loving God and others through prayer, fasting, and reaching out to the poor. His love was ultimately shown by dying on the cross. May we follow His lead so that we may become a people of love.
- “In loving God, you feel the feelings of God, and God is compassionate to the poor and oppressed.” (Bishop Robert Barron) How true is this in your life?
- How do you nurture the love of God and neighbour in your heart?
- What steps do you take to love those who are unlovable?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. By dying on the cross, You have shown us the greatest expression of Your love. Teach us to love as You have loved us. Amen.
Suggested Lenten penance: Fast from television or some other amusement.
(Pietro)
