The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22:37-39

Jesus was asked the question, “which is the greatest commandment? It sounds like an easy question since we already know the answer, but the Pharisee who asked Jesus the question did not know the answer, and this is an important observation. In an age and culture, when laws and the multiplication of laws were all important, it is easy to appreciate that people could lose sight of the spirit and purpose behind the laws. The answer to the question, which is obvious to us all, is that love is the greatest commandment.

A person who has the spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, can do what he or she likes. A person who does not have the spirit of Christ, the spirit of love, can do what he or she likes but will spoil what they are doing. The people of God are called to be a loving people. When you come to Church, or work in any capacity to serve the people of God, you must do it with love. Love means trust, not distrust; love means faith, not a critical spirit; love means unity among people, not disunity or disharmony; love means service in the name of the Christ, not disservice or selfishness. Whatever you do in the name of Jesus, do it out of love.

Love is not something that is forced; it is a free gift that we offer to each other. It is God’s gift coming down to us from heaven, unmasked and unsought. “True love”, St. John says, “consists in this…that God loved us first and sent us His son for our salvation.”

There are certain hallmarks of true love which I would like to mention here. Many Christians possess these qualities and I cannot express my appreciation enough for these good people.
1. A real appreciation of the love of God and a willingness to put that love into practice.
2. A genuine love for the other person and an openness to work with the other person in pursuing God’s will.
3. A genuine respect for the dignity of each person; a willingness to recognize and draw out the best in each person, and an unwillingness to listen to gossip, detraction, and calumny.
4. A sense of happiness in working with people to promote the common good: a willingness to give and take; a willingness to learn and grow.

Of all the earthly music that reaches farthest into heaven, the sweetest is the beating of a loving heart. The human race will never know salvation until it is love-lifted to heaven. Love is looking outward together in the same direction and that direction points toward heaven. We never fulfill ourselves so genuinely as when we are in the full glow of God’s love.

May we continue to grow as a loving people.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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