FRIDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (A)
MYSTERY OF THE DAY: Sorrowful
CELEBRATION OF THE DAY: Ferial
TABLE OF THE WORD: Ruth 1:1.3-6.14-16.22; Matthew 22:34-40.
THEME: Love beyond cost.
THE WORD:
“You shall love the Lord your God, your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)
Notably , there are a total of 613 Jewish commandments (mitzvot in Hebrew) extracted from the Old Testament. By implication, if one were to practice this law each per day it will certainly take almost two years. It is against this backdrop that one of the teachers of the law approached Jesus and then asked Him: Of all these laws which one is the greatest? Our Lord in His response gave him the summary of the 613 Jewish commandments with reference to that which God gave to Moses - decalogue (ten commandments) (cf. Exodus 20:1ff.) which is founded on love. That is love of God and and love of our neighbours as we love ourselves.
This reality is being played out in the Cross of Jesus, the vertical and horizontal axis. That is our love to Him points to the vertical axis and that for our neighbours is being represented by the horizontal axis. With Christ spreading His hands horizontally, He invites us to His love which is in God.
INSPIRATION
None of us exist outside the love of God through His only begotten Son (cf. John 3:16). We are all beneficiaries of this highest attribute of God; for in love everything was made, and through it man was given the mandate to put them into use for the greater glory of God.
Beloved in Christ, how then do we reciprocate this kind gesture of our God upon us? Is it through betrayal of one another? Is it by using our neighbours as stepping stone or ladder to vain glory and fame? Could we say, we love God by bearing false witness against one another? By and large, doing all these tentamount to ingratitude which the scripture forbids us. (cf. Genesis 40:23, Numbers 16:13-14; Judges 8:35; Judges 9:18)
Finally, let us learn the language of love, think about it, speak about it and then put it into action for God is Love. Peace be with you!
PRAYER
O Eternal Word, strength of the weak and health of the infirmities, we adore and bless Your name. Grant we pray the grace to love beyond counting the cost so that we may continue to grow in the palms of Your Love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+ May the Lord in His infinite mercy bless and keep us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
© The ARCHIVE 25082023
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