SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014: Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 80; Mark 12:28-34 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, Of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Well said, teacher, the man replied. You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And from then on no-one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12: 28-34) REFLECTION TODAY ON WITH ALL OUR HEART With all our heart Many different goals face each person as he or she sets out on life, even though the drama of this may not strike home. He is born into a particular family, within a particular culture and society, and various goals grow on him — perhaps mainly by force of circumstances. He is urged to study hard, or to do well at sport, or to get on well with his acquaintances. Fr. Ted TylerTime passes, he begins to take up certain goals, and the direction of his life takes shape. He aims at marrying, settling down, raising a family, securing sufficient income for this purpose — and that is what his life will be as he envisions it. Alternatively, his concentration could be on success in a chosen profession. He is enamoured of sporting success, or he could aim to have a successful business — say, a real estate business which he plans to extend. In all of these things he might remember God, or he might not. As the years pass, it slowly dawns on him that life is short — it has passed quickly. His childhood has gone, as has his adolescence, and early manhood. He has married, has children and now finds himself in middle age. Perhaps the fundamental chance, the most important opportunity, has passed him by. What is that? It is the chance of friendship with God and of living out one’s days in the service of him. Each person has but one shot, one life to live, one run of the race, one attempt at the wheel. After that, it is all over forever with no turning back. It will then all be gone, never to be seen again. It is critical, then, that each be alive to the fundamental opportunity ahead — and that relates to God. However, there is something more. There are great numbers of persons who make this right choice that I have been referring to. They would never allow themselves to forget God. But the issue is, is this as far as they will go? Will they coast along as religious persons, or will they give to God their “best shot”? There are plenty of persons who give to their chosen goals their “best shot.” Perhaps they have forgotten God, perhaps they have not. But how many are there who, having understood that God must not be forgotten, give to him their all? This is the issue, because it is actually not an option as far as God is concerned. We are God’s creatures, and he is, from an ontological perspective, our life and our all — we depend on him radically and totally. Our very being is his gift, moment by moment. If we wish to live and to flourish, it can only be on the basis of doing the will of our Creator, and with love. Further, he has condescended to give us his friendship, indeed his love. He sent his only-begotten Son to die for each of us that we might live forever with him. Now, God commands us not merely to remember and acknowledge him, but to love him. Further, this love must be absolutely total. It is to be the work of life, to attain a perfect love for God our Creator, our Father and our Redeemer. We are required to give this our “best shot.” In our Gospel today (Mark 12: 28-34), our Lord is asked what the foremost of God’s commandments is. Is it, say, the Sabbath rest? Or would it be the care of the stranger, or the honour that we must give to our parents? Or would it be that no other god must ever be allowed? All these and very many besides were commanded in the Scriptures. Which, though is the most important? It must have been a pressing matter for the scholars of the Law and for those instructing the people because the sacred books contained numerous religious injunctions. It is a pressing matter for each of us too. Jesus Christ gives us the answer. The foremost duty imposed on us by the living God is that we work at the perfection of love for him. “The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” A religious person can spend the years of his or her life serving God, but failing to work at loving him the more, and giving to him the very best. Christ wants us to struggle at the perfection of love. It will not do to reach a certain level, and thereafter to coast along. He wants us to be pressing on the accelerator and speeding up. The challenge for the person who lives for this life forgetful of God, is to discover the true Reality for whom he should be living. The challenge for the person who knows and loves God is to resist mediocrity. The challenge of every marriage and of every good friendship is, how far shall I go in this? Am I prepared to give it my very best, and to be open to light on how this is to be done? Far more so is this the case in religion. Christ asks of each of us that we seek to love and serve God to our fullest capacity. He wants all our heart, our whole mind, soul and strength — as expressed in the loving fulfilment of his daily will. Let us take up this greatest of adventures and duties. It will take us to life everlasting. (E.J.Tyler) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Second reflection: (Mark 12:28-34) What we have to live for Occasionally we hear of people who have very little to live for, or so they believe. Perhaps it is because the great things they had possessed and had been living for — their family, their work, their business, or whatever — had been taken away from them. Perhaps they had never discovered anything they could live for. Whatever be the case, God has revealed that no matter what our circumstances, there is something absolutely fundamental that every single person is called to live for — the love of God. We have a great object in life, and it is to work at the total love of God in our life, and in God, the love for others. We are to work at the perfection of love. Every occasion, every circumstance, is to be turned to account, turned into an occasion when we love God with all our heart, and others in Him. This perfection of love is a very great work that requires the application of all our powers. It is the work of a lifetime. It is God’s command to us, it is our happiness, and it is our calling. (E.J.Tyler)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:30:39 +0000
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