31st Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Justin Adiele
THEME: “BE RULED BY THE LOVE OF GOD”
INTRODUCTION
In interpreting the Decalogue
(Ten Commandments of God), the Old Testament Jewish Rabbis ended up listing 613
precepts of the law. They went further to classify them into 248 commands and
365 prohibitions. These were further classified into light and grave laws. It
became a big debate among the Jews to determine which laws are light or grave;
which ones have more binding force or less; which ones should rule us. Jesus in
the gospel reading of today grappled with the same problem; which is the first
or greatest of all the laws? His answer was very simple; love of God and
neighbor! Every other law is centered on Love.
THE FIRST READING (DEUT. 6: 2 –
6)
In the first reading, Moses
invited Israel and all of us today: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one
Lord: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your might.” This love is not just professed with the
mouth but with our actions which bulges down to fearing the Lord by keeping all
his statutes and his commandments as we know them. Be careful to do them; that
it may go well with you; Moses explained!
THE SECOND READING (HEB. 7: 23 –
28)
The second reading talked about
the priestly role and office of Christ which he has done and continued
permanently to do for our sake out of love. He is able at all times to save
those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make
intercession for them. The love of God and the love of Christ for us has made
him to continue to play a permanent role in our sanctification not just by mere
words; he is our constant and inter-generational victim, carrier and expiator
of our weaknesses and sins. Let us make it easier for Jesus by repenting and
reducing the amount and weight of our sins on Him.
THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 12: 28 –
34)
In the gospel reading, when a
Scribe asked Jesus the first (greatest) of all the commandments, Jesus cited
the first reading of today: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your
strength.” Jesus also cited the second of all: “you shall love your neighbour
as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” If you can live
up to these two commandments, you are not far from the kingdom of God, said Jesus.
What then does true love of God and neighbor imply? True love of God/neighbor
will prompt you to do tremendous things for God and neighbor. It will prompt
you to perform virtuous actions and not wicked actions. It will prompt you to
put your own convenience and pleasures behind to please God. True love will
prompt you to give preference to whatever will promote God’s honor, name and
glory.
CONCLUSION:
Love of God entails doing
whatever is within our power to secure the honour and glory of God and good of
men. Christ himself gave us a clue when he said; “If you love me, keep my
commandments.” Hence, to love God is to live life free from sin and to keep his
commandments. An artist who was painting Lincoln’s portrait in the White House,
asked him about his religion and Lincoln replied: I have no religion, I never
joined any Church. But any Church that inscribes over its altar as its sole
qualification for membership, the words of the Saviour; “Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and thy neighbor as
thyself”, that church I will join with all my heart and all my soul. Our
religion, our code/law, our goal is Love!
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Justin
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment