Sunday Gospel Reflection: October 23rd, 2011

Matthew 22: 34-40

We should all memorize part of today’s Gospel:

What is the greatest commandment? "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. “

In his first letter for the benefit of all Catholics (encyclical), Pope Benedict XVI gave us a beautiful reflection on how our God is a God of love and what that means for us as followers of Jesus. Reflecting on the two-fold commandment in today’s Gospel he writes that the “love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable, they form a single commandment.” We need both and they mutually enrich and inspire the other.

It is not enough to just to love other people, for, “if I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God.”

But it is also not enough to just sit in prayer and love God, for “if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be “devout” and to perform my “religious duties”, then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely “proper”, but loveless.”

“Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to show him love makes me sensitive to God as well. Only if I serve my neighbour can my eyes be opened to what God does for me and how much he loves me.” (Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love (Deus Caritas), 18)

*Interested in reading more? You can read it here! Check out Part II of Deus Caritas Est.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

-How can we love God if we cannot see Him?

-Isn’t love a feeling? How can I love someone who I am mad at or who annoys me?

-Why is it difficult to love others if we do not love God?

-Why is it difficult to love God if we do not love others?

-What are three ways we can love people in our life (be concrete!)? Commit to following through with one of those ways this week.

--What are three ways we can love God? (be concrete!) Commit to following through with one of those ways this week.