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Gospel Reading for June 04, 2026 – Mark 12: 28-34
BEST VERSION
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.
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They asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest of all, as though there were a hierarchy among the Ten Commandments. In reality, all the commandments can be summed up in one word: LOVE. If we look closely, the first three commandments govern our relationship with God, while the fourth through the tenth guide our relationship with our neighbor.
It is essential that we first love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we truly love God above all else, love for our neighbor naturally follows, for God is the Creator of every person. We cannot pick and choose whom to love and whom to disregard. Genuine love of God leads us to love all whom he has created.
We benefit immensely from following God’s commandments because, when we love as Jesus loved, we become the BEST VERSION of ourself. Our life gains deeper meaning, purpose, and direction, leading us toward the eternal life for which we were created.
Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to love as you love and to follow you faithfully until our dying day!
