Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’
Mt.22:37-40
Mt.22:37-40
Jesus is replying to a question from a pharisee who didn't really want the answer. He was trying to confound Jesus. Instead, in reply Jesus succinctly summarises the entire Old and New Testaments in two sentences; love God and love others.
Whenever I get "over theologised" I return to this basic truth of my faith; Love God and love others. If what I am doing meets these two commandments, then I'm on track. Saint Augustine distilled this even further by saying "Love God then do as you please".
Of course, these five words are easy to say but hard to do and there lies my dilemma. By myself I cannot fulfill these two commandments. I tend to love myself before loving God. And to be honest, some of the others are not very lovely people. My natural selfishness gets in love's way. The antidote? ...confess my selfishness and call on the help of the Holy Spirit. Love is a supernatural calling and I can only practice it with supernatural help.
Come Holy Spirit. Heal me of my selfish wound and let my love for God become the love of God for others.
Little Flower, please pray for me.
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