Gospel Reading: Mk 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.
HEAR, O ISRAEL!
Jesus quotes Dt 6:4, the Shema (Hebrew word for “hear”) that the Jews recite every morning and evening, and Lv 19:18, on loving one’s neighbor as oneself, in response to the scribe’s question on which is the first of all commandments.
The scribe is in accord with Jesus’ answer, and he even adds that it is “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Jesus leads the scribe from mere “knowing” the law to “living” the law so that he can enter the Kingdom of God.
The first step to loving God and one’s neighbor is to listen. Through the prophets, God calls on Israel to give heed to him (e.g., Hos 5:1; Am 5:1).
This Lenten season is an opportune time for us to prove our love for God by spending more time with him in prayer and meditating on his Word; to express our love to our neighbors through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
“If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3).
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
