Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12, 28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The cross is the synthesis of everything
1) “A scribe asked him…” It is important to stop and ask yourself how you are doing and what you are doing in your life. It’s vital to think and rethink where you’re heading and where you’re placing your intentions and your objectives. You must realize that there is a lot to work on in yourself, a lot of things to change and to learn.
2) To love God. What we see on the cross is the union between heaven and earth. We learn that there is a path towards God, which we must strive to follow every day. Working on oneself, working with others and living for others is constant in this path. Don’t stop walking and striving to live the life that Jesus wants for you; looking for and discovering the hand of God in everything you do. Your life is supernatural and you have much to do and to give, always stemming from the gifts God has given you.
3) To love your neighbor. This is the consequence of loving God; because when you’re able to see God in your life, you can understand the hand of God in your brothers and sisters. We all have that “something” of God. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find that presence or spark of God in some people, but it’s there. So, dare to go further, take that step and become aware that God is in each of your brothers and sisters. Seek God in others so that they may offer you the peace that only God can give. Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
