Everyone learns in catechism that that “great commandment” of Jesus is to love God and love neighbor. I’m always struck by the fact that, at least the way St. Mark tells the story, the commandment is not to love but to hear. “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel!” In saying this Jesus recited the traditional morning and evening prayer of the Jewish people (the shema.) Loving God and neighbor is the result of, the consequence of the hearing. What do we hear? We hear of God’s love for us, that God will never stop loving us, that nothing we can do will cause God to cease loving us. We can love only when we know we are loved. Today’s prayer: let God love you.
JUNE22016
By Church Staff