Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12, 28b-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.
Love is everything
1. The scribe. He symbolises those trapped in legalism, people who treat religion as a rigid collection of rules and permissions, disregarding both common sense and God’s true message. The scribe approaches Jesus, intending to put Him to the test. Yet most of us can relate—we sometimes challenge God and demand He do what we want. We judge others through the lens of strict legalism, forgetting what Christ actually did or would do.
2. You shall love. Love lies at the heart of everything, but not in a “romantic” sense—rather, in the sense of acceptance. To love someone is to accept them just as they are. When I love, it means I also accept and cherish myself. Our true task is to learn to accept ourselves, so we can accept others; to love ourselves, so we’re able to love others.
3. The Kingdom. True greatness isn’t about seeking status or high-ranking positions; it’s about reaching Heaven. We often get distracted by trivialities and lose sight of our purpose and motivation. Today, take a moment to reflect on why you are here and whom you are here for. You have only one life to live, so enjoy it—but always remember where you are headed.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
