Jesus summarized the whole of the law in two great commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

We need to love God. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength in response to His total love for us, means that we should place God’s will ahead of ours, seek the Lord’s will in all things, and make it paramount in our lives. There are several means by which we can express our love for God and our gratitude to Him for His blessings, acknowledging our total dependence on Him. God loves us wholly, completely, and perfectly for our sake—there is no limit, no holding back, no compromising on his part. His love is not subject to changing moods or circumstances. When God gives, he gives generously, abundantly, freely, and without setting conditions to the gift of his love. His love does not waver, but is firm, consistent, and constant. He loves us in our weakness—in our fallen and sinful condition. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us from slavery to sin and its disordered cravings, desires, passions, and addictions. We do not earn God’s love—it is freely given to those who open their hearts to God and who freely accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. We need to love our neighbor: God’s will is that we should love everyone, seeing Him in each of them. Since every human being is a child of God and the dwelling place of the Spirit of God, we are giving expression to our love of God by loving our neighbor as Jesus loves him or her.

On the wall of a children’s home founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta hangs a sign which reads as follows:

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. LOVE THEM ANYWAY.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. DO GOOD ANYWAY.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. SUCCEED ANYWAY.
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow. DO GOOD ANYWAY.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight. BUILD ANYWAY.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them. HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall love God as well as our neighbor as Jesus told us to do. Love of God and love of Neighbor—always two sides of the same coin. They should go hand in hand, never separate at any time, going together only.

With God’s Blessing to all,

Fr. Charley