New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 25: Year A
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 and Matthew 22:34-46
“He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37 to 40)
In the Hebrew Testament there are six hundred and thirteen laws; many of which are outdated in today’s societies. And we Christians have adopted the Ten Commandments as part of our own code of conduct. However, in today’s Eucharistic Gospel, we see where our Lord Jesus makes it easier for us with only two Commandments.
There was a traveler who asked an old Rabbi, “Sir, could you explain the whole of the Torah while standing on one foot?” To which the Rabbi answered, “What you don’t like done to you, do not do to anyone else.”
It is indeed easier to remember only two Commandments. Love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself. Loving God must come first. Love God, and then we are able to love others through the love we have for God. It is also very important that we love ourselves. It does us no good to love others as we love ourselves if in fact, we don’t love ourselves. God loves us. Therefore, we too must love ourselves. God finds us worthy of God’s love. So we cannot, not love ourselves. After this, we stretch out to our neighbors, all on earth are our neighbors.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools and the victims and families of the mass shootings in Maine.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John.
onewhoponders 