9th Week in Ordinary Time : Thursday 8th June 2023

For some time, Jesus had faced a series of scheming and malicious questions from the Pharisees and scribes who intended to find fault with Him. Therefore, it was a pleasant change when a scribe approached Jesus and attempted to understand Jesus and His way sincerely. He asks Jesus which is “the first of all commandments”.

Jesus responds to the scribe’s question by quoting the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is God alone.” Jesus follows this by saying that since God is one, He should be loved with one’s whole being – mind, body, soul and strength. To this, Jesus adds a second commandment: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. By this, Jesus is, in effect, making “the first of all commandments” into a dual commandment as He says: “There is no one commandment greater than these”.

The scribe appreciates Jesus’ response because He has combined the two commandments into one, that is, the commandment given by God through Moses to Israel (Deut.6: 2; Lev.19: 8) and words of the prophet Hosea who declares that love, not sacrifice, is what God desires of all people (Hos. 6: 6).

Jesus’ response to the scribe must make all His followers ask themselves whether their love for God is verified by their love for their neighbour. They must also ask themselves how their sacrifices for God and liturgical worship are expressed in their love for others. Perhaps, today is a good time for us, as His followers, to ponder these questions.

Lord, help me love my neighbour as I love You.

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – First Day (8th June): Open Heart