November 4, 2012

Bulletin November 4, 2012 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34
Jesus directly answered the question of the learned scribe today and His response just tells me what following Him is all about: love God and love my neighbor who includes everyone in my life and everyone in all of God’s creation. So how am I doing with these ‘love commands?’
This was not a ridiculous question or one that was trying to trap Jesus as so many of the scribe’s contemporaries where trying to do. Moses brought the Ten Commandments from God to the Jewish nation and all people. The rabbis had analyzed the Law and determined that it consisted of 613 distinct commandments; 248 were positive and 365 were negative. So the scribe was very sincere when he asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” And Jesus did not hesitate at all as He quoted what Moses had written in the Book of Deuteronomy in today’s first reading, “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.” Jesus was not saying that the other 613 interpretations were unimportant but He was saying that all of these are summed up in this first great commandment. Now the interesting part is that Jesus did not stop there for He added, “The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” This is from the book of Leviticus. So is there one or two? Sometimes my mind wants me to think this way.
In reality there is only one; the two are as one. St. John in his first letter puts this bluntly: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (I Jn 4:20-21)
So the question comes down to me as to how am I loving? And just as important, do I love myself? These are the questions Jesus is asking me to think about and reflect on. So I can ask how can I tell if I am loving others well? I can compare that with how I love myself but I must be aware of being too pompous or too humble. When Jesus says ‘as you love yourself’ He is guiding me to discover His reflection in me. The old phrase, ‘God doesn’t make junk’ is so true. There is nothing in me that God doesn’t love. Each day He is helping me to see His own reflection in the world around me and in the world inside of me. When I go out of myself and share me with someone, I am sharing God if it’s about His love and His gifts to me. When I do this, maybe I might do it in an outstanding way or maybe I might stumble throughout but if I’m giving of the giving, loving me, I am giving God.
As Msgr. Eugene Lauer, an author who ran the sabbatical program at Notre Dame University said, “This is not vanity. It is in no way a self-seeking vainglory. Rather, it is a healthy realism, openness to the wonder of God in the created universe. What better way could there be to praise God than to have a wildly loving response to the divine imprint everywhere, including the divine imprint inside one’s own being. A false humility crept into the Christian way of thinking about self, especially in the Middle Ages. This false humility in some cases became a despising of self: ‘I am of no value…the lowliest of creatures…’ There is nothing Christian about thinking or speaking poorly of oneself. Such language seems to indicate that God made a mistake in creating ‘me.’ We don’t dare accuse God of that!”
When I understand that I am a creature especially loved by God, how can I not be grateful? And how can I share this loving God with others? I certainly look at wonderful gifts and blessings, but I also see the weaknesses and sins. Jesus sees these too. But He says don’t dwell on them because they could easily draw me to ‘use’ other people and things for my own interests. Jesus knows that if I learn each day to reflect on loving Him within me, than I can be infinitely capable of loving each person who comes into my life and everyone. Why? Because each person is loved in this same way by God; He shows no favorites He just loves and loves.
And Jesus told the scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” It is certainly evident in this wonderful exchange in Mark that this man knew which were the two most important commandments; that’s the first step. The second step for him and for me and every person is to put them into practice. And every time I do it this way, God’s way, I’m not far from God’s Kingdom and this is the same for every one of God’s creation. So I reflect on:

• Jesus takes the scribes question seriously and points me to an interior religion, one of the heart, not of rule keeping or ritual. Do I have the same emphasis?
  
• How is love of God a transforming power within me?
  

From Tom and Karen Sink authors of “This Sunday’s Gospel” I reflect on:

• “What does it mean to love you? Is this kind of love narcissistic? How can love for you be a humbling experience? Why is love of self necessary in order to truly love your neighbor?”
  
• How is your love for yourself and for your neighbor a fitting gift to God? If you believe that you are created in God’s image and likeness, can you ever ignore those around you in this world?”
  
• Do I go to God for what I need today and each day to be a person of love?
  
• Jesus challenges me and every follower to be great lovers. This love is more than a feeling; it is wanting what is best for someone and being willing to do whatever I can, for that person. Now for the person I don’t like, do I pray more often? I should... what holds me back?