Growing up, I always thought of Catholicism as just a bunch of rules—things you can’t do, things you must do, and things that will supposedly determine whether or not you get into heaven. Many times, I have found myself caught up in that mindset. Readings like today’s first reading from Leviticus can make it feel that way: don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t hold grudges, don’t cheat people, don’t ignore those in need. A list of dos and don’ts, like a checklist for holiness and eligibility for heaven. But the truth is, Catholicism isn’t about following rules to get a reward. It’s about knowing Christ. And Christ is love.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that love is the standard. He doesn’t separate the sheep from the goats based on how well they obeyed religious laws or how often they prayed. Instead, he looks at how they treated others: Did they feed the hungry? Clothe the naked? Welcome the stranger? Love, in action, is what matters. And he takes it a step further—when you love others, you are loving him. To know Christ is to love as he loves.
Even if we take religion out of the equation for a moment, love is still what brings true joy. We shouldn’t be good to others just because we fear eternal punishment. We shouldn’t love others just because Christ told us to. We should love because love itself is transformative. When we give selflessly, when we care for others, when we put kindness above our own pride or comfort, we experience something greater than ourselves. We experience the kind of joy that isn’t fleeting, the kind that doesn’t fade when circumstances change.
So the question isn’t: Am I following all the rules? The real question is: Am I truly loving? Because in the end, heaven isn’t a prize we earn—it’s an eternal relationship with God, who is love itself. And the best way to prepare for that eternity is to start living in that love now. Not out of obligation, not out of fear—but because love is where true joy is found.
