Love and stay close to God’s Kingdom

In his answer to the question by one of the scribes – ‘which is the first of all the commandments?’, Our Blessed Lord replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and will all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater that these’ (cf. Mk 12:28ff). Already in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses makes the same law clear to the Israelites that the, ‘…Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength…’ (cf. Dt 6:2-6).

Beloved People of God, sometimes it takes as little as acknowledging that the word spoken by God is right to receive the approval of the Heavens, thus, ‘…You are not far from the kingdom of God’. In truth, our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, being God does not flatter. He always says what he means and means what he says. What he said to the scribe in answer to his wise response, was the truth about the scribe. It can also be heavens ‘assessment’ of any of us, if we wholeheartedly love God and our neighbour.

We pray for the grace to both acknowledge the word of God as true and to take it to heart. This same Word of God is Jesus Christ himself. He is the one that the letter to the Hebrews describes as one who would never lose his priesthood because he remains forever…one whose power to save is utterly certain because he lives forever and intercedes for all who come to God through him. He is the high priest who has been appointed the Son and made perfect for ever through the promise on oath that came after the Law’ (cf Hb 7:28). 

Fr. Ted

All to Jesus – Through Mary our Mother

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

3^rd November 2024