Daily Reflection – 3/17/2023
Sacred Scripture
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. (Mark 12:28-34)
Reflection
It is incredible. Simply incredible.
The Miracle became a Miracle. God became Man. Then that man became a miracle by giving up his earthly body and rising again to be with His Father, God with God. God as God.
Why is that so astounding?
Because God did that for you!
You brought that miracle alive the moment you acknowledged Jesus Christ as God. The moment you said, “Yes God, you are my Savior” The moment you entrusted your life to Him. The moment you gave thanks for His presence. The moment you acknowledged that all you have comes from Him. That moment in your life when you were saddened, or fearful, or ill, or when the tears flowed over the loss of one you loved and you knew no other recourse but to turn to Him
All those moments completed the miracle so that you and the Lord would be one.
One. Why is that correct? He wants you to be with Him forever. So the miracle became another miracle when He gave himself through the Holy Spirit to dwell within you.
That’s a miracle. A miracle of love. Love that has flown in you since you were created. Love that abides in you. Love that is always there whatever the circumstances. Love to sustain you.
All that He asks is for you to live and share that love.
Jesus calls you and I to love him with all our mind. So, we must ask how much of our mind do we dedicate to God? Do we try to think as God thinks in our decisions?
Jesus likewise calls you and I to love him with all our heart. So, we must ask do we really love God more than we love everything and everyone else in our life?
He calls us to love him with all our strength. How much effort do we make to love him? Do we battle through distractions in prayer? Do we prioritize Church and seek to be with others who believe as we do?
He calls you and I to love him with all our soul. Do we seek to stay free of all sin or do we compromise with sin and give in to gossip, complaining, holding grudges and the like?
Jesus goes a step further with His challenge to love him with everything we are and have. He tells us that our love for God will be shown in our love for neighbor. Jesus says “Love one another as I have loved you. “
That means that Jesus is calling us to love our neighbor, to love others in our community, to love our family members, to love strangers and even enemies with all our heart, all our mind, all our souls and all our strength.
Jesus who is love, who gave us love, whose spirit resides in us as love asks only that we love as He loves.
With the power of His love, how dare we say “no.”
Prayer of The Day
Lord, I realize that to love You above all else I must come to know You. Help me to be faithful to you in my commitment to know You and to seek to discover all the glorious truths of Your life.
Daily Note
The ‘commandment’ of love is only possible because it is more than a requirement. Love can be ‘commanded’ because it has first been given. … based on an intimate encounter with God, an encounter that has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings. Then I learn to look on this other person not simply with my eyes and my feelings, but from the perspective of Jesus Christ. His friend is my friend.
