Mark 12:29-30
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."
How many times have we done the right thing begrudgingly or with indifference just because it was expected of us? We know the right decision, but we do it out of a sense of obligation or to avoid the feeling of guilt that will haunt us otherwise.
Sometimes we may not even notice that it is happening. It can be easy to fall into routines or habits that no longer carry the significance they once did. Perhaps we go to mass even when the weather is bad because we feel we should, not recognizing it for the joy and the privilege that it is. Maybe we do not pay much attention to our prayers in good times and only feel the weight of our words when we need something.
Today’s Gospel reminds us that our actions should be done with love. First and foremost, we should love God with every fiber of our being and with everything that we are. This means reevaluating our relationship with Him and ensuring that He is at the center of our lives, even with all the deadlines and to-do lists we must face every day. Secondly, our attitudes toward others should reflect the love we have for them–a love that is equal to the love we have for ourselves. We should demonstrate compassion, kindness, patience, and mercy to everyone we encounter, especially those we find it most challenging to love. Both of these callings are far from easy, but they are defined by Jesus himself as being the very core of what matters.
As we continue through our Lenten journey, we must take the time to reflect, show gratitude for what we have, and prepare our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths for Easter and a lifetime after that. Being a follower of Jesus is an active choice, and it is one that must always be done in love.
