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Thursday of 9th Week in Ordinary Time
Tob 6:10-11; 7: 1bcde, 9-17; 8: 4-9a; Mark 12: 28-34
Dc. Larry Brockman
How does one Love God with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength? For although we are taught that this is the greatest commandment, this reading doesn’t tell us how to do it.Â
Perhaps the second greatest commandment is easier to understand- Loving our neighbor as ourselves. All of us understand love of self. We love ourselves when we show respect for the dignity of our bodies and minds by refraining from doing ourselves harm, but only doing what is good for us. And we understand how we might apply that to our neighbor. We can see, touch, and communicate easily with our “neighbor” and so we can show them respect, honor, affection, and do a host of other things that are intended to be good for them, and not bear any evil. I think it is fair to say that love of the kind I’m talking about involves patience, kindness, forgiveness, and the other things St. John talks about in his famous epistle.Â
But loving God- just how do we do that? Loving God is the reflection back to God of how He loves us. To be sure, he loves us the way we are supposed to love our neighbor- with patience and kindness and forgiveness. But it is much deeper- because God gave the life of his only son for us- the ultimate sacrifice.Â
Can we love God that way- are we patient with God, or do we expect an answer to our prayer immediately? Are we kind to God, or do we give him only the minimum of attention to get by? Do we forgive God, or to put another way, do we always blame Him for our problems? And are we willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for God? That means following his will no matter what. Discerning God’s will means knowing God- by being familiar with His Word, and following our consciences, that little voice inside that tells us what’s right. Any way you look at it, loving God is a commitment for life.Â