Today’s Gospel was from Mark 12:28-34 in which we hear Jesus’ response to the scribe’s question about which is the first of all the commandments.  Jesus replied, “the first is this:  Hear; O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  

Hearing this at Mass this morning, I thought about the examples I see every day from young mothers and fathers, and grandparents, who lovingly, selflessly and tirelessly give of themselves for the sake of their children and grandchildren.  I thought of social workers and those in the medical field who live the second commandment in their care for the physically and mentally ill.  And then I thought of all those who fail to live this commandment because of their selfish desires for what makes them feel good, or what fits their schedule, over the needs of others.  I think it’s a rare saint that can live this virtue one hundred percent of the time.  Even the best of us are a mixed bag of charity and selfishness.

As I meditated on how I might love God and neighbor better today, I recalled one morning a couple weeks ago.  After morning Mass, our priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament for that week’s day of Eucharistic Adoration.  I lingered in my pew for a bit but then decided to go up to the Adoration chapel to kneel before the tabernacle and Jesus in the monstrance.  As I approached the tabernacle, I found a young woman already there kneeling.  I knelt behind her and as I did I noticed the printing on the back of the sweatshirt she was wearing.  It said, “Dear person behind me, the world is a better place with you in it.  Love, the person in front of you.”

“Dear person behind me, the world is a better place with you in it.  Love, the person in front of you.”

I knew this young woman, or rather I know her parents better than I know her, and I knew that if her apple didn’t fall too far from the family tree, she meant the words that were on the back of her hoodie.  I also knew her love for our Lord was strong.  Did it make me feel loved?  Yes, to a certain extent, but mostly it gave me hope.  Hope from the affirmation that there is actually goodness in the world; hope that more people will respect the dignity of all humankind whether they are behind, in front, or on either side of them; and hope that I might grow in that respect, also.

Then, as I knelt there gazing at Jesus in the Eucharist, that in this particular instance, it was the Person in front of the person in front of me Who is the perfection of selfless love.  He is our model.  And it is by loving Him, and letting Him love us, that we can truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your endless love!  Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice of love on the cross to save my soul.  Help me Lord, give me the grace to love You and my neighbors as You love the Father and all the sinners for whom you were crucified.  Amen.”

(Love God and Love Your Neighbor, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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