23 August 2024 - Only By Grace Reflections

Topic: HOW DO YOU EXPRESS VOUR LOVE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR?

First Reading: Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 107: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Alleluia: Psalms 25: 4b, 5a
Gospel: Matthew 22: 34-40

Many will probably say that the underlying motivation for the question that the Pharisees presented to Jesus in today's Gospel reading was questionable. The common posture of the Pharisees, scribes, and scholars was confronting and trapping Jesus to discredit Him. However, even though the motive for asking was doubtful, the question itself was acceptable. At that time, there were more than 600 commandments in the Jewish Law. Devout Jews asked, "What was the greatest of all the commandments?" In reply, Jesus gave more than what He was asked for. Not only did He answer the most important commandment, but He also considered the two most important commandments.

The common denominator to both commandments is the word "love." God is to be the primary object of our love. God alone is to be loved with all our
strength, heart, soul, and mind. Jesus was truly remarkable in linking this primary commandment with another one found in a different place in the
Scriptures-the love of the neighbor. Jesus appears to be saying that those who truly love God with all their being will be absorbed into God's love of others and will love others in the way God loves them. Jesus is the one human being who fully embodies the two-fold love.

This is the 1579th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings.

[NOTE: Let us listen to our brother Jess Ferrer as he brings us today's reflection.

All the regular reflections are between 3-7 minutes long, enough time for us to ponder what God's message is for us individually and to pray that