The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the depth of our attention to the Great Commandment of love for God and neighbour.
The reading from the Prophet Hosea is an assurance of forgiveness.
* [14:4] These good intentions promise a reversal of Israel’s sins: no more reliance on “Assyria,” i.e., on foreign alliances (see notes on 8:9 and 12:2), on “horses,” i.e., on human power (10:13), and on idolatry (8:4–6; 13:2). Israel will trust in the Lord alone.
* [14:9] Verdant cypress tree: the symbol of lasting life, the opposite of the sacred trees of the Baal cult (4:13). The Lord provides the “fruit” (peri) to Israel (2:7, 10), another instance of the wordplay on Ephraim (see notes on 9:16 and 13:15).
* [14:10] A challenge to the reader in the style of the wisdom literature. (Hosea, CHAPTER 14, n.d.)
Psalm 81 expresses God’s Appeal to stubborn Israel.
* [Psalm 81] At a pilgrimage feast, probably harvest in the fall, the people assemble in the Temple in accord with the Sinai ordinances (Ps 81:2–6). They hear a divine word (mediated by a Temple speaker) telling how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Ps 81:7–9), gave them the fundamental commandment of fidelity (Ps 81:9–11), which would bring punishment if they refused to obey (Ps 81:12–13). But if Israel repents, God will be with them once again, bestowing protection and fertility (Ps 81:14–16). (Psalms, PSALM 81, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus presents the First Commandment
* [12:13–34] In the ensuing conflicts (cf. also Mk 2:1–3:6) Jesus vanquishes his adversaries by his responses to their questions and reduces them to silence (Mk 12:34). (Mark, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley has been blessed to be exposed to an Ignatian approach/meditation of using our imagination to enter into the scripture and dialogue/experience the story as a participant not just a reader.
To my amazement, the scribes seem satisfied with His response and continue with some agreement and no one dares ask further questions. I shake my head since it is full of questions. I have no problem with understanding the first statement as the most important commandment. However, I’m baffled by the second – who is my neighbor? How can I love my neighbor as myself? This certainly seems impossible. Perhaps this is meant to be interpreted as one of those parables I’ve heard that Jesus tells. His teachings seem so matter of fact and simple in many ways but challenging to be able to live in such seemingly simple directives. I want so much to follow Him as I see others do, but how can I live up to those standards? How can I give up what I have – my home, my belongings – and follow. Yet, the apostles, as they are called, seem to have a contentment, a serenity that has always been elusive to me no matter how much I have. Is that the reward for following Him? An inner peace and new sense of priorities where the physical possessions on earth have little or no meaning and we await a more glorious kingdom. I want to find that contentment and focus on what is most important. I think I will tag along at least for a bit and maybe learn who my neighbor really is . . . (Shirley, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The fire of God's love,” by Augustine of Hippo,354-430 A.D.
"Gravity keeps everything in its own place. Fire climbs up, while a stone goes down. Elements that are not in their own place are restless until they find it. This applies also to us. My weight is my love; wherever I go, I am driven by it. By the love of God we catch fire ourselves and, by moving up, find our place and our rest." (excerpt from Confessions 13,9) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:28-34 comments that we may think that being “not far” from the kingdom means that we are only a step or two away from entering heaven, but the truth is, God’s kingdom is all around us. And that means that we can taste its goodness every time we try to love the Lord and our neighbor. Here are some examples:
• When you offer your day to God as soon as you get out of bed, you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
• When you forgive the family member who slights you, you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
• When you stop off at church during lunch and spend five minutes before the Blessed Sacrament, you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
• When your coworker mentions a need in her family, and you promise to pray for that need—or even offer to pray with her—you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
• When you stop what you’re doing yet again to comfort your child during a thunderstorm, you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
• When you remember that your friend’s spouse died on this date last year and you pray for him and call to check in on him, you aren’t far from the kingdom of God.
God’s kingdom is a lot closer than we often realize. It’s only a matter of living in his love.
“Jesus, thank you for bringing your kingdom to earth!” (Meditation on Mark 12:28-34, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the call of Hosea to return to the Lord, Who is always ready to forgive. Hosea presented the Covenant in terms of a marriage. The Great Commandment is part of the Shema Israel, through which our intellect, our persecution in life, and our physical possessions are given to serve God. Friar Jude reminds us that our liturgy needs to be an expression of the love we are already living and want to live.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares what drew him to Teresa of Ávila. He describes the gifts of mystical experience.
Where can we expect to go in life if we follow this way of perfection? What are its fruits? When we are enjoying deep union, we won’t need to create divisions, mistrust, and separation.
True spiritual encounter changes our politics, our attitude toward money, our use of time, our relationships toward foreigners and the weak, our attitude toward war and nationalism. We are citizens of God’s Big Kingdom now (see Philippians 3:20). Be prepared to have a very different lifestyle afterward.
If you are not ready to change, don’t seek out God. Once we have one sincere moment of divine union, we will want to spend all our time on the one thing necessary, which is to grow deeper and deeper in love every chance that we get.
Talk to those who have had a near-death, or nearing-death, experience. They all agree: it’s all about love. It’s all about union.
Saint Teresa of Ávila and her Way of Perfection are time-tested, reliable guides to this life:
Of love, nonattachment, and humility.
Of letting go, entering luminous darkness, and being ambushed by the Lover of the Cosmos.
Of recognizing union on the other side of fading dualisms. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)
We seek the guidance of the Spirit to integrate our practice of love, non attachment, and humility into our observance of the Great Commandment.
References
Hosea, CHAPTER 14. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/14?2
Mark, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?28
Meditation on Mark 12:28-34. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/03/17/632673/
Psalms, PSALM 81. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/81?6
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Let Nothing Frighten You. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/let-nothing-frighten-you-2023-03-17/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Are Not Far from the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=mar17
Shirley, N. (2023, March 17). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031723.html
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