31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Psalm 17
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34

                      SHEMA ISRAEL

The readings of today invite us to love. But what kind of love? It is not the love as the world understands it, whereby we learn how to make love and take advantage of the other for our own interest, but the love of God, whereby we seek the good of the other for the sake of the other. It is agape love. For love is the fundamental vocation of man: to love and to be loved. Man cannot live without love. Love is not therefore a word or an idea, but a way of life.

In the first reading, the “shema Israel”: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One” is the profession of Jewish faith and at the same time, a call to obedience. The consequence of this obedience of faith is to love God with a total and unconditional love (Deut. 6:2-6).

However, according to St John, he who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar (1 John 4:20). Thus, the love of God and the love of the neighbor are like the two sides of a coin. And this is the message of the gospel reading. Replying to the scribe’s question about which is the first of all the commandments, Jesus says it is love: love of God and love of the neighbor (Mark 12:28-34).

Indeed, love surpasses everything and it conquers everything. Yes, love is the foundation and the fulfillment of the Law. This free, total and unconditional love finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In obedience to his Father and for love of mankind, he offered himself on the cross once for all as a perfect and pleasing sacrifice to God. Thus, he has become the High Priest par excellence; and his priesthood lasts forever (Heb. 7:23-28). May he teach us to love and serve him in our brothers and sisters.
Amen.

22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8 
Psalm 14 
James 1:17…27 
Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23

TRUE RELIGION

The readings of today invite us to mediate on what is true religion. In the first reading, Moses tells the people of Israel that God is ever close to his people. His immutable laws are not to oppress man but rather to guarantee his freedom and make God’s people great. What distinguishes therefore God’s people is the obedience to such life-giving and liberating laws. People thus will marvel at the wisdom and prudence that characterize the life of God’s people.

All good things come from God and are meant to help us on our way of salvation. Thus, our salvation does not simply depend on our being baptized, being a member of a church, going to church on Sunday, listening to the Word of God. It does depend heavily on how we put into practice the Word of God. In such a way, we should not be just listeners but doers of the Word. This is true religion (second reading).

True religion therefore consists in loving, forgiving, sharing, showing compassion and going to the aid of the needy. Such practices come from the heart and make man holy. In the same way, negative thinking and evil deeds come from the heart, and make man unholy. It is only when we allow the Word of God to transform our way of life that we can become true worshippers of God.  External observance of the ritual purity is good, but when it is divorced from the heart, it leads to hypocrisy (gospel reading).

It is evident that unless we build a personal relationship with the Lord and care for our fellow human beings with a genuine and sincere heart, all our “religion” is sterile end lip-service. May the Lord fill our hearts with genuine love for him and for our brothers and sisters. Amen

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 94:1-2.6-9
1Corinthiand 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28

THE MOUTHPIECE OF GOD

God never ceases to speak to his people. He always chooses intermediaries  through whom he makes his will and word known to his people. In the first reading, He promised that he would raise a prophet like onto Moses to his people. Such prophet would be his mouthpiece. As such, the people must listen to him, just as they would listen to God Himself (Deut. 18:15-20).

Hence, the psalmist says: “O that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts”. For St Paul, we must give an undivided attention to God. We must devote ourselves to him alone and seek to please him in all things (1Cor. 7:32-35).

In the gospel reading, Jesus taught the people with authority unlike the scribes. His words made deep impression on his listeners, producing powerful effects of healing and deliverance of those possessed by the devil (Mark 1:21-28).

Jesus Christ remains the great prophet of all times. Nevertheless, he has given the authority to the Church to teach all nations. In this respect, two implications are worth noting. First, the Church must avoid the temptation of preaching herself or teaching something contrary to God’s Word. Second, we must listen to the Church, for she is the mouthspiece of the Lord.

Let’s ask ourselves: how do we pay attention to the teachings of our Pope, bishops and priests? How do we react to the interventions of our bishops in socio-political issues? Let’s remember what Jesus said: whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16).

May the Lord give us a listening ear and a docile heart so as to put his Word into practice.
Amen