The WORD in LENT - Third week, Friday
March 17, 2023: Hosea 14: 2-10; Mark 12: 28-34
The twofold love that Jesus speaks of today is a message that we are used to hearing so much - Love of God and love of the neighbour. But what makes the difference here is the first reading which provides a slightly different context in which we read the commandments from the Lord. What is the context: Hosea speaks of returning to the Lord, to the True God.
The whole of Lent is a time we reflect on returning to the Lord, repentance of our ways and reforming our lives. Jesus seems to suggest, be truly loving in your ways and you would have returned to the Lord much faster than you imagined! Loving God and loving neighbours is the Christian lifestyle and it provides the fundamental way to reach the Lord.
Here we can make two statements and that will explicate the teaching clearer:
You make all your sacrifices, gives all the alms that you can, spend all the time that you find in prayer and adoration, speak about God and are passionate about your religious duties... but if you do not love your brother and sister, beginning with those in your family - you are far from a truly Christian life.
Instead, you find it so hard to fast or so difficult to mortify yourself, you find it difficult to find even half an hour together to sit in front of the Lord and you find it so difficult to go to Church... but you love your brother or your sister wholeheartedly, with a sincere heart, genuine spirt and a godly sense...you are so close to the Lord and the Lord's way of life!
This is an undoubtable, indisputable means to peace: Be loving!... being loving in one's thought, word and deed; loving everyone whom we meet, offering it up to the Lord consciously, as a true and living sacrifice.
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