TO LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOURS

(30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020 - Homily)

How much should I be eating in a day or how much weight should I lose in a week or month? How can I lose my body weight? One group of researchers said that we can lose weight through dieting whereas another group exclaimed that we can lose weight drastically by physical exercising. We cannot lose our body weight only through diet without exercises or vice versa. Both dieting and physical exercising are equally essential to balance our physical fitness. Therefore, we can say that the key to successful weight loss is developing healthy diet and exercise regularly. Now, what does this have anything to do with the readings today?  

 

Jesus makes reference to two greatest commandments that is not part of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:1-7). In today’s Gospel, Jesus was questioned by the Pharisee, “which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus responded that the greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” (Deut. 6: 5) and the second is “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” (Lev. 19:18).

 

We cannot love God without loving or neighbour. 

We cannot love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all mind and neglect the second commandment, “love of neighbours.” Both are equally important in our Christian way of life. It is like the example I have provided in the beginning. Weight loss require both having good diet and regular exercise. It is same on these 2 commandments that we must be able to do even better.

When we love one another, we will not do any evil to fellow brothers and sisters. We must love our enemies and love those who hate us and persecute us. We must pray for those who mistreat us. We must also forgive (and forget) those who have hurt us and harmed us. Whoever does not love our brothers and sisters, does not love God. God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

 

As we keep dieting and exercising abreast in our lives when it comes to losing weight, we too keep these two greatest commandments close in our lives. We pray today that we will help one another and encourage one another to carry the sacred duty to love others and give honour and serve one another.

 

 “I love You, LORD, my strength.” (Ps 18)

 

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/totus-tuus-1/