“Teacher, which commandment of the law is the greatest?” Jesus answered, “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind. This is the first and the most impor tant of the commandments. The second is like
it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets are founded
on these two commandments.”
READ: In Exodus, God calls his people to live justly and to care for the most
vulnerable rather than taking advantage of them in their distress. Paul
holds up the Thessalonians as a model for new believers. Their example of
conversion and faith in Christ can help to spread the Gospel. In the reading
from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the two great commandments: love
of God and love of neighbor.
REFLECT: God calls his people to solidarity and empathy. Put simply, this
means that we should have a sense of responsibility and compassion for
each other. This may be one of Christianity’s boldest claims! In a world where
everyone is supposed to look out for themselves and get as much as they
can, putting the needs of others first is a radical concept.
Moses consistently reminds the people to remember the difficulties they
experienced when they were enslaved in Egypt. Their experience should
make them all the more ready to treat their neighbors well, making sure
that they have everything they need and offering support. We too should
recall our own difficult experiences and the loving God who helped us so
that we might help each other.
PRAY: Lord, help me to love you and my neighbor more dearly.
ACT: Reach out to someone who might need a listening ear.
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