The Word of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, challenge our tendency to disputes that may displace our Love with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love in Strength

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy defines Timothy’s Conduct including a Warning against Useless Disputes.

* [2:8–13] The section begins with a sloganlike summary of Paul’s gospel about Christ (2 Tm 2:8) and concludes with what may be part of an early Christian hymn (2 Tm 2:11b–12a; most exegetes include the rest of 2 Tm 2:12 and all of 2 Tm 2:13 as part of the quotation). The poetic lines suggest that through baptism Christians die spiritually with Christ and hope to live with him and reign with him forever, but the Christian life includes endurance, witness, and even suffering, as the final judgment will show and as Paul’s own case makes clear; while he is imprisoned for preaching the gospel (2 Tm 2:9), his sufferings are helpful to the elect for obtaining the salvation and glory available in Christ (2 Tm 2:10), who will be true to those who are faithful and will disown those who deny him (2 Tm 2:12–13).

* [2:14–19] For those who dispute about mere words (cf. 2 Tm 2:23–24) and indulge in irreligious talk to the detriment of their listeners (2 Tm 2:16–19), see notes on 1 Tm 1:3–7; 6:20–21. Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tm 2:17), while accepting the Christian’s mystical death and resurrection in Christ through baptism, claimed that baptized Christians are already risen with Christ in this life and thus that there is no future bodily resurrection or eternal glory to come. The first quotation in 2 Tm 2:19 is from Nm 16:5; the other quotation is from some unidentified Jewish or Christian writing. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 25 expresses confidence in God who forgives and guides.

* [Psalm 25] A lament. Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such acrostic Psalms are often a series of statements only loosely connected. The psalmist mixes ardent pleas (Ps 25:1–2, 16–22) with expressions of confidence in God who forgives and guides. (Psalms, PSALM 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way in which Jesus has conducted himself.

* [12:28–34] See note on Mt 22:34–40.(Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [22:34–40] The Marcan parallel (Mk 12:28–34) is an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way in which Jesus has conducted himself in the previous controversy (Mk 12:28), who compliments him for the answer he gives him (Mk 12:32), and who is said by Jesus to be “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mk 12:34). Matthew has sharpened that scene. The questioner, as the representative of other Pharisees, tests Jesus by his question (Mt 22:34–35), and both his reaction to Jesus’ reply and Jesus’ commendation of him are lacking. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jay Carney comments that standing with the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan Woman, and “Good Pharisees” like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, Mark’s Good Scribe undermines this “us and them” dynamic. Jesus calls every person to be his disciple, loving God and neighbor alike. He praises truth and goodness wherever he encounters them, even amidst the opposition.

It bears no repeating that Americans live in an increasingly polarized political climate. I have also seen this dynamic play out in my research in eastern Africa where ethnicity, party, religion, and generation (Gen Z vs. the Gerontocracy) have become major social dividers. One of the great dangers of polarization is the collective stereotyping that accompanies it. We know what these people are like before we even encounter them, and we know they are bad. Rather than a unique subject of inestimable dignity, the individual human person is subsumed beneath a categorization. It is hard to even encounter the person outside their perceived “tribal” loyalties and identities. (Carney, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Love God with one's whole self,” by Gregory of Nyssa, 330-395 AD

"Human life consists in a threefold unity. We are taught similarly by the apostle in what he says to the Ephesians, praying for them that the complete grace of their 'body and soul and spirit' may be preserved at the coming of the Lord. We use the word 'body,' for the nutritive part, the word for the vital, 'soul,' and the word 'spirit' for the intellective dimension. In just this way the Lord instructs the writer of the Gospel that he should set before every commandment that love to God which is exercised with all the heart and soul and mind (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27). This single phrase embraces the human whole: the corporeal heart, the mind as the higher intellectual and mental nature, and the soul as their mediator." (excerpt from ON THE MAKING OF MAN 8.5.10) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:28-34  comments that every morning, the first thing that Jews in ancient Israel did was recite the prayer above, a prayer called the Shema. This beautiful prayer proclaims that Israel has only one God, and that he is God over all of creation. He isn’t just one of many “gods” like the idols of neighboring nations; he was and is omnipotent, loving, powerful, and faithful.

Do something different today. Before you leave home, and again as you get ready for bed tonight, pray the Shema. As you recite this prayer, remind yourself that you have only one God. Consider his greatness and the mercy he has shown you, and acknowledge him as Lord. Then, in your own words, tell him that you want to love and serve him with all of your heart and soul, mind and strength. Do it again when you start the day tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Let this consecration develop into a daily habit. Over time, you’ll find yourself more able to love the Lord with everything you are.

“Lord, you alone are my God. I want to love and serve you with everything I am.” (Meditation on Mark 12:28-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the reading from 2 Timothy, Paul is portrayed as if in prison to contrast with the Word that cannot be imprisoned. Even in prison, Paul was able to evangelize the Pretorian Guard. The distinction is made between the denial of Jesus and being unfaithful. “We mess up and we sin” but to deny Him is complete rejection. We cannot participate if we deny Him.  Our faith is something to be lived every day even with difficult consequences. The leader’s attempt to embarrass Jesus is an opportunity to present the Great Commandment. Jesus proclaims our command to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength. “Mind” is not in the Hebrew Great Commandment and Friar Jude comments that “heart” is our intellect, soul is “time of persecution when “our very soul” is threatened", “strength” is our physical possessions and  “mind” probably refers to our “conscience.” Faith is both vertical and horizontal. Jesus declares closeness to the Kingdom of the Scribe who recognizes the proclamation of God's truth.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis who reflects on the liberating impact of receiving unconditional love.

In any relationship, fierce love causes us to cross boundaries and borders to discover one another, to support one another, to heal one another. When we do this, when we go crazy with affection, and offer wild kindness to our neighbor across the street or across the globe, we make a new kind of space between us. We make space for discovery and curiosity, for learning and growing. We make space for sharing stories and being changed by what we share. This is the space of the border, of “mestizaje”, of both/and. It’s the kind of space where we can enhance our knowing with what the other knows; we can develop this kind of knowing, which W. E. B. Du Bois called “double consciousness.” We can learn to see the world not only through our own stories, through our own eyes, but also through the stories and worldview of the so-called other. This is the kind of space that changes us, that grows empathy, this is ubuntu…. We simply must open our eyes, look across the room, the street, the division, the border—and reach out to that neighbor, offering our hand, our compassion, and our heart. (Rohr, 2026)

We contemplate the Love we experience through the Spirit and seek the guidance to be wise in our practice of this love with our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

References

Carney, J. (2026, June 4). Daily Reflection June 4, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-4-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22? 

Meditation on Mark 12:28-34. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/04/1584966/ 

Psalms, PSALM 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/25?4 

Rohr, R. (2026, June 3). Resisting Definition — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/resisting-definition/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Love the Lord with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/2? 

Commandments and Community

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the sincerity of our conversion and our commitment to full life in our community.

Community Care

The Reading from the Prophet Hosea exhorts us to Sincere Conversion and New Life.

* [14:1] Samaria: the capital of the Northern Kingdom will fall; this is the punishment predicted for Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom.

* [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 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 81 tells how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

* [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 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches The Greatest 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 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that repentance is not so much about confession of guilt as it is drawing closer to God to better hear God’s voice. 

It is not about me trying so hard. It is about me letting the Lord be my God. That should be a joyful spiritual discipline, not a burden.

Jesus reminds us of what we need to hear. We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our understanding, and our strength. And we must love our neighbors as ourselves. I pray today that when we are called to repent, we can see this as an invitation to enter into joy, for the Kingdom of heaven is indeed at hand when we love the Lord, ourselves, and our neighbors. (Dilly, n.d.)

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.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Hosea speaks of return to the Lord and not putting trust in the Assyrians and idols. What more do the Israelites have to do with idols? God wants what is good for them. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells the scribe the Shema Israel is the first commandment. Friar Jude explains the key areas of love of God: the heart; where in Jesus' time, was where you thought; soul indicating to love God in persecution; mind is love through conscience; and strength is using your physical possessions to love God. Jesus affirms that the scribe realizes the truth places him close to the Kingdom. 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:28-34 comments that our love for God is not meant to be static or theoretical. Our relationship with him should be the foundation for everything else in our lives. It should bear fruit in the way we treat everyone created in God’s image and likeness. In fact, the whole Law provides specific direction on how to live out our love for him, especially in the way in which we relate to other people. And so Jesus adds this second commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

So often we want Jesus to give us some new way to become holy. We want a fresh spirituality or a challenging mission. But you can love God and your neighbor right where you are now. You can honor the image and likeness of God in the person right in front of you. You can take care of the most vulnerable of his children. You can show mercy just as he does. It’s simple, and it’s “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33).

“Jesus, I long to grow in love for you and to show that love to every one of your children who crosses my path.” (Meditation on Mark 12:28-34, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how moving beyond an emphasis on personal sin allows us to focus on larger forces at play that create systemic harm.

If we are honest and perceptive, we surely see that actual evil often seems to “dominate the very air” (a phrase found in Pauline texts such as Ephesians 2:2) and is more the norm than the exception. In fact, evil is often culturally agreed-upon, admired, and deemed necessary, as is normally the case when a country goes to war, spends most of its budget on armaments, admires luxuries over necessities, entertains itself to death, or pollutes its own common water and air. Evil seems to be corporate, admired, and deemed necessary before it becomes personal and shameable.

Sin and evil must be more than personal or private matters. Convicting people of individual faults does not change the world. I believe the apostle Paul taught that both sin and salvation are, first of all, corporate realities. Yet, we largely missed that essential point, and thus found ourselves in the tight grip of monstrous evils in Christian nations, all the way down to the modern era. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to awaken our understanding of the error of transactional relationships with God and people that impede our need for conversion to full life relationships modelled by Jesus' total sacrificial love.

References

Dilly, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-13-2026 

Hosea, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/14?2 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?28 

Meditation on Mark 12:28-34. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/13/1518061/ 

Psalms, PSALM 81 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/81?6 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 13, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/collective-sin-and-evil/ 

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 13, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/