Sunday, October 31, 2021
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: DEUTERONOMY 6:2-6
Second Reading: HEBREWS 7:23-28
Gospel: MARK 12:28-34
In the gospel today a Scribe came to Jesus to test His understanding of the law. He asks Him, “Which is the first commandment of all.” There were 613 laws in the Torah. Questions were often raised about how to summarize them or which is the most important. The question posed to Jesus is about what is most central and what matters most. Responding Jesus quotes from the “Shema Israel” which we find in Deuteronomy chapter 6: 4-5. It is part of the morning and evening prayer of every Jew and encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism. “Here O Israel, the Lord your God is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” And He added, “the second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Loving God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength calls for a life of total commitment to God. Total commitment means all or nothing. It does not admit of half measure. By dying on the cross, Jesus gave us His all. St Augustine said, ‘whoever loves has no motive in loving than to be loved in return.’ The same way, because God has given us all in Christ, He demands our all by right. To love God with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength is to give God His due.
Truly loving God is more than a commandment, it is a privilege. It is a participation in the life of God who is love. If one day, we come to see God as He is, we will not cease to thank Him for commanding us to love Him and we will desire nothing more than to cultivate this love for all eternity. Our Holy Founder, Saint Gaetano Errico used to say, “Love God as much as you can, you will never be able to love Him as much as He deserves.” So, you see the tragedy of not even loving Him as much as we can.
The scribe, who asked Jesus which commandment is the first, praised the response of Jesus and repeated His responds. And then adds something very important, “this is more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.” On one occasion Jesus had said, if you’re going to offer your gifts to the altar and there you remember your brother has something against you, leave your offering then, go and be reconciled with your brother first, then come offer your gifts. Essentially, Jesus is teaching us that the law of love of neighbor is superior to the law of worship. That’s exactly what the scribe repeats. Love of God and neighbor is more important than all the holocausts and sacrifices.
Offering sacrifice was central in worship and constitutes one of the main functions of the temple. You could not go to worship without something to offer. Jesus said to Him, “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” Here lies the most important message of today. This man is not in the kingdom of God. To be in the kingdom of God is more than knowing that the love of God and neighbor is the greatest commandment. To be in the kingdom of God is knowing it and living it.
Happy Sunday
Rev. Fr. Chidi Onwuka MSSCC