COLLECT: “O GOD, WHOSE PROVIDENCE NEVER FAILS IN ITS DESIGN, KEEP FROM US, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, ALL THAT MIGHT HARM US AND GRANT ALL THAT WORKS FOR OUR GOOD. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
2Pt 2:8-15; Ps 24:4-5,8-10,14 and Mk 12:28-34.
We base our reflection on 2Timothy 2:8-15 and Mark 12:28-34. In the portion of the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to Timothy we are reflecting on, Paul, even though in chains in prison, continues to encourage Timothy not to waver in his work of bringing Christ’s salvation to others. He should present himself as acceptable to God, causing no disgrace, but imparting the word of truth without deviation. In the portion of the Gospel of Mark, a scribe wants to know which of the commandments is the first. Responding to him, Jesus summarises the Ten Commandments into two. The first one is ‘Love of God’, which contains the first three of the Ten Commandments. The second one is ‘Love of neighbour’, which also contains the remaining seven of the Ten Commandments. There is no commandment greater than these two according to Jesus and anyone who holds on to this teaching, lives and practices it will not be far from entering the Kingdom of God.
The commandments of God; both the Ten He gave to Moses for His Chosen People as well as the two summarised commandments Jesus gave, have demanding implications. It is very easy to say or claim I love God when in fact, the love I claim I have for God does not cost me anything more than probably my daily attendance at religious services and recitation of some prayers. The real test of my claim to love God is how I handle and treat fellow human beings around me-my family members, people I work with, those I worship with and any person who needs me and my assistance. We cannot truly love God while we neglect to love those who are equally created in the image and likeness of God.
John also taught his listeners and all of us that our love of our invisible God should be demonstrated in our love of neighbours who are around us: “Anyone who says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother (sister), is a liar, since whoever does not love the brother (sister) whom he can see cannot love God whom he has not seen. Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also love his brother (sister)” (Cf. 1Jn 4:20-21).
Also, our love of the invisible God must be put into active practice. It should not be lip service but practical through the way we handle fellow human beings. This also goes in line with Jesus’ saying that it is not only those who say, ‘Lord, Lord who will enter the Kingdom of God, but those who do the will of my Father’ (Cf. Mt 7:21). We should be doers of the word of God especially regarding what he teaches us about loving him and neighbour and not only hearers of the word. Concrete or active expression of love of God in neighbour is not only limited to carrying out works and deeds of charity and mercy, like sharing our material possessions and wealth with the needy and the poor, but it also includes being our brothers/sisters’ keepers, correcting those who are going astray or are living in error and sin, being role models among fellow human beings, worthy of emulation, etc. It also includes the popular statement that: “If you do not like a toad to be put in your packet or basket, do not also put it in your neighbour’s packet/basket”. That is, what I do not like people to do to me, I should avoid doing to others.
Since “charity begins at home”, let us always demonstrate our love of God to people around us, especially our family members and those we live and work with us, before we can demonstrate it to the outer and wider world. We should not be like the needle which patches holes in other things but cannot patch its own hole. Please, endeavour to show and express the love that you have for God by a small good and loving act to a neighbour. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GOVERN BY YOUR SPIRIT, WE PRAY, O LORD, THOSE YOU FEED WITH THE BODY AND BLOOD OF YOUR SON, THAT, PROFESSING YOU NOT JUST IN WORD OR IN SPEECH, BUT ALSO IN WORKS AND IN TRUTH, WE MAY MERIT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THROUGH CHRIS OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana. (00233-0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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