When asked what is the first of all the Commandments, Jesus responds: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” These words from the Old Testament, which are part of today’s First Reading, were familiar to the Jewish people. It was part of the “Shema” which was prayed twice daily.
For us as for them, these words are the summation and culmination of all the other Commandments. In other words, all that we say and do must be dependent on and rooted in our love for God. Everything else proceeds from this Commandment. Pope John Paul I (Cardinal Luciani) wrote regarding love of God: “The man who loves God must board the ship of God, determined to accept the course set by His Commandments, by the guidance of those who represent Him and by the situations and circumstances of life that He permits.” We live and demonstrate our love for God by faithfully carrying out charity in all of our duties and responsibilities in the world. If lived in this manner, our love we have for God will spill over into our love for others. Let us live and love in this fashion.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne