Fresh Dew Media

 30^th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Manifesting Love for God by Loving Our Neighbours

Readings: Ex 22:21–27; 1 Thess 1:5c–10; Mt 22:34–40

Dear friends in Christ, on this thirtieth Sunday, the Church invites us to reflect on something very practical. If we were to ask everyone here today whether they love God, surely each person would say “yes.” Nobody would openly claim to hate God. This love for God is often expressed in various ways—through prayer, participation in Church activities, and obedience to the commandments. This love for God is what Jesus calls the greatest commandment in today’s Gospel.

However, Jesus immediately adds a second element to His response to the Pharisees in order to draw our attention to the fact that love of God has a component that makes it complete. That component is love of neighbour as ourselves. Whoever keeps these two commandments fulfils both religious and social duties.

It was clear that when the Pharisees heard Jesus say that the greatest commandment is love of God, they were pleased. With their daily religious practices, they considered themselves perfect lovers of God. Many people in the Church today may feel the same way. But with the addition of love of neighbour, Jesus was teaching that the love of God expressed through prayers, Church service, and obedience to commandments is incomplete if love of neighbour is missing. The love we profess for God cannot be genuine if it does not manifest in the way we treat the people around us. Love for God cannot be real if we hate those around us; it cannot be true if we treat others with contempt; it cannot be honest if we despise our fellow human beings.

This argument of Jesus is echoed in the first letter of St John (4:20): “Anyone who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar, since nobody who fails to love his brother whom he sees can claim to love God whom he has not seen.” John also says (4:8): “Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.”

The first reading of today reinforces this truth by listing attitudes that can damage our relationship with God. According to this reading, if we oppress strangers in our midst, we wound our love for God; if we afflict widows and orphans, we harm our relationship with God; if we become a burden to those we have helped, we attract the wrath of God; if we are insensitive to the needs of the people around us, we weaken our love for God; and if we fail to stand for justice, truth, peace, and mercy in our dealings with others, then we have injured our relationship with God. In this reading, God vows to punish those who maltreat others.

Therefore, this Sunday calls us to a practical application of everything we do in Church. It calls us to practical Christianity. It invites all of us who profess love for God to examine our hearts honestly and consider how we treat our fellow human beings. Sometimes it appears that many who are very regular at Mass and other Church prayers are the most difficult people in their communities, relationships, and workplaces. Sometimes it seems that some people use prayers and religious activities to hide their true character. Sometimes those who are leaders in the Church, or well known for their religious involvement, are also known for unjust practices in their communities and for having unforgiving hearts. Sometimes those who do not come to Church point to the bad attitudes of Churchgoers as their reason for staying away from the Church.

Dear friends, Christ is telling us today that if our neighbours, friends, and colleagues cannot feel the positive impact of our love, then we deceive ourselves when we claim to love God. Jesus does not want us to maintain only a vertical relationship—that is, a relationship between us and God alone. He wants us to add a horizontal axis to our Christian life. This horizontal axis extends our relationship with God to the people around us. This is the true definition of Christian living and a beautiful representation of the four arms of the Cross of Christ.

Love of neighbour is expressed in many ways: when we help others in their needs, when we forgive them, when we understand them, when we tolerate them, when we advise and correct them, and when we give them our time.

Dear friends, let us remember the words of Jesus: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me” (Mt 25:40).

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima