Love God, Love Neighbor

 

 Mk 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

God is love; love is the greatest gift we have been given. It enables us to incorporate God into our lives and our  lives into his. The more we love, the more God-like we become. And this love spills over into love of our family, friends, neighbor, and all who come into our lives.

Today, the Marist Brothers and the thousands of lay Marists, known as "Marists of  Champagnat" celebrate Memorial of St. Marcellin Champagnat whose love for children overflowed into the Congregation of the Marist Brothers whose mission is to make Jesus known and loved, a concrete implementation of the Great Commandment cited in our Gospel passage today. May all who read these words grow deeper in their love of God and in some way live out the mission to make God known and loved.  As he loves us, so should we love one another.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, thank you for the zeal and courage of St. Marcellin and help us to make his mission, ours. Amen.