|
|
I believe the hardest, most cross-grained and most unloving Christians in all the world are those who have not had much trouble in their lives. And those that are the most sympathizing, loving and Christlike are generally those who have the most affliction. The worse thing that can happen to any of us is to have a path made too smooth. One of the greatest blessings the Lord ever gave us was a cross.
- Charles Spurgeon
(Usually we do not have to look too far for the cross. How have you experienced its transformative power lately?)
|
|
|
Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22; Psalm 146:5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Mt 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
USCCB lectionary
|
Reflection on the Scripture
|
“The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole law is based, and the prophets as well.” —Matthew 22:39-40
After we share the Lord with our neighbors, we are called to serve them in many ways. This is the follow-up of our evangelizing. We are practicing what we preach. Nonetheless, no amount of service can ever substitute for loving people enough to tell them the truth about Jesus. Even if our neighbors reject the Gospel message and us, we must love them enough to accept their rejection. Although evangelization is not all there is to
loving our neighbor, it is the essence of obeying the second commandment. For Christians there can be no love without evangelization.
Prayer: Father, give me a deep concern for the salvation of those I see every day.
Promise: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.” —Mt 22:37-38
Presentation Ministries
|
|
|
Growing in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain. Liguori Publ., 1986.
3. Love Everyone and Everything
God is love,and those who abide in love abide in God,
and God in them” (1 John 4:16).
Some may cringe at what this chapter calls for. This is not just my advice, however. It is Christ’s commandment. He is the one who said, “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Since he loved everyone, it follows that he expects us to do likewise. We may therefore trust that he would never have commanded us to do something that is impossible.
There is a special kind of love about which the Scriptures speak. This love, or agape (charity), goes far beyond the demands of natural human love (see John 15:9-13). Charity wishes the best for all and is willing to become involved in their lives to help them to grow. It is possible for us to love everyone in this manner. The remaining thirty-seven chapters in this book can help us to do just that.
Do we wish the best for everyone? Are we indifferent to the welfare of people outside our immediate circle of family and friends? Are there even people whom we would like to see harmed? It is natural to feel indifferent and sometimes resentful toward certain people. Our natural romantic and familiar loves will not prevent us from doing so. But we are not free if we feel this way. God’s self-giving love cannot move freely through our being if we do not care
about all people.
Charity means more than caring and well-wishing, however. It also calls for involvement in the lives of others. We should remember that we can become significantly involved with everyone on this earth by praying for them. More specifically, though, charity calls for becoming involved in the lives of those people with whom we come in contact on a regular basis.
What kind of involvement? No one can give a pat answer to this question—and we should be suspicious of anyone who tries. Simply struggling with the question is an important spiritual practice. As Saint Francis de Sales used to say, “You learn to speak by speaking, to work by working; and just so you learn to love God and man by loving.. . . Begin as a mere apprentice, and the very power of love will lead you on to become a master in the art.”
So, enough of this business of wishing well to some, harm to others, and indifference to most. We no longer have to decide whom we shall love and whom not (although we will always have to decide upon friends and lovers). The answer is simple: love everyone all the time. If we strive to do so, we will be living as children of God—which is exactly what we are.
Practical Suggestions
- Do you wish the best for yourself? Are you willing to become so involved in your own life that you do what is necessary to grow?
- In your daily contact with others, ask yourself: how can I love this person right now? Listen to your heart for the answer.
- Pray for the grace to wish the best for everyone.
|
|
Paperback, Kindle, ePub, PDF
|
|
Please support this outreach with a tax-deductible donation.
|
|
|
