Sunday 29th of October
“The commandments of love.”
Matthew 22:34-40
How is our love? In the gospel reading today, Jesus invites us to reflect on the relationship between our love for God and our love for our neighbour. Jesus uses the opportunity given to him by the Pharisees to remind them that their love for God cannot be separated from their love for their neighbours. And by a neighbour, Jesus isn’t just referring to those that we like or are close to us and easy to get along with. For Jesus, one’s neighbour is the sinner, those I am not necessarily drawn to. We cannot say we love God if we do not love our brother or sister. The two go together.
How is our love for God? Is it really reflected in our love for our neighbour? What concrete acts of love do we do? How do I show love at home, work, when I am out and about?
Jesus says the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. Lord, open our hearts so that we might love you and our neighbour more deeply. Help us stay close to you so we can love others with your love.