The mark of a good Jewish teacher is his ability to summarize the 603 precepts of the Jewish religion as briefly as possible. Therefore, some Jewish teachers have summarized the 603 precepts into two: love of God and love of neighbor. There is nothing special in this. The Lord was not the first to summarize the law. But what is peculiar and unique to the Lord is He was the first teacher in the Jewish religion to present the love of God as only one facet of the love for neighbor and to present the love of neighbor as only the other face of the love of God. Jesus is the first teacher to say that the other one cannot be separated from the other. This is also the essence of our Christian faith. Love of God and love of neighbor.
I know that it is not difficult for us to love God. Our difficulty comes when dryness and problems arise, then it becomes more difficult to pray. Herein lies the question. For many of us, it is not really difficult to love our brothers and sisters under normal situations. But when that brother or sister hurts us, disappoints us, does not meet our expectations, or is ungrateful, thoughtless or tactless, then it becomes difficult for us to love them as our neighbor.
The Lord did not tell us to love our neighbor only when they are popular, beautiful and young. The Lord only told us “You must love your neighbor.” This means that we do so even when they are sick or have become a burden or are problematic. Do we have this kind of love? The Eucharist-we celebrate this afternoon is not only merely a celebration of our love for God. Let it also be a celebration of our endless love for one another.
INSEPARABLE LOVE
Mt 22:37
Jesus In My Heart
