Bamenda Sunday

[Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34]

Love of God and love of neighbour, the two greatest Commandments. If we listen carefully, when Jesus states the Greatest Commandment; to love God, he has added to the Commandment slightly, but crucially. The original wording used by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy are “Listen Israel…., You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.” When Jesus is asked, he says “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” Jesus has added that we are to love God with our mind as well. When the scribe relays Jesus’ words back to him, he uses a different word for mind; he uses the word ‘understanding’. How do we love God with our mind? We do this by getting to know God better: reading the Scriptures, attending Mass, celebrating the Sacraments. But knowledge is not enough. That is why we have the other parts in the Commandment; we need to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength.

I read the other day that “Satan is a master theologian. He talked to God, interacted with God, believes in God’s existence, and knows more about God’s attributes and abilities than most…. And yet Satan doesn’t love God. Knowledge about God doesn’t equal faith in God.”[1] Our knowledge of God has to develop into the deepest of love for Him; we are to use every part of our being, after all, we only exist because God brought us into being.

When Jesus replied to the scribe, he expanded his answer to say what the second greatest Commandment is too. We are to love our neighbour as ourselves. Interestingly, in the same conversation in Luke’s Gospel the scribe asks a follow up question of Jesus on who is my neighbour? Jesus then uses the parable of the Good Samaritan to explain that our neighbour is the person who at this moment most needs our help. [Luke10:25-37].

Who is our neighbour today?

What help do we need to offer them?

How will we make time to do this?

There is a danger that we can sometimes find ourselves concentrating more on the love of neighbour than on the love of God. Whilst our love of neighbour stems from our love of God, we need to be careful to remember that love of neighbour is the ‘second greatest’ and love of God is ‘the Greatest’. God, our Creator has to be our principal focus; our treasure, because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” [Matthew 6:21].

When I visit our sick brothers and sisters, I am very aware that I am there to bring the love of Jesus to them. I am often humbled by the faith these people show and pray that if I was in a similar position that my faith will be as strong. Seeing at first hand people who are living with terminal illnesses and people who live with mental health issues makes me realise even more how precious life is. Our Bishop urged us all last week to write to our MP urging them to vote against assisted suicides. The MP where I live, is sadly in favour of this. I would urge everyone who has not written yet to write to their MP; even if they are in favour personally, they are supposed to represent the views of their constituents. If enough of us write, then self-preservation may be enough for them to change their mind and listen to their constituents.

Moses asked the Israelites to listen, today we are called to listen to the heartbeat of our own faith. We recognise the challenge of loving God and loving our neighbour and are reminded in the second reading that Christ’s power to save is certain and that he intercedes for us who come to God through Him.

Placid Murray; the late Benedictine monk said “Our love for God is mainly one of gratitude; our love for our neighbour, one of compassion. If we follow out this twofold commandment, Jesus will say to us as to the scribe: ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’.[2]

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2083: commandments as a call for a response of love
CCC 2052, 2093-2094: the first commandment
CCC 1539-1547: holy orders in the economy of salvation

Please keep in your prayers this week

  • The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
  • Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
  • The fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
  • Those working to support the projects in Bamenda, all the priests from Bamenda and other places who support our Diocese.
  • People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.

Deacon Tony

2nd November 2024

[1] Attributed to JC Ryle on X accessed 31st October 2024.

[2] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [Columba Press, Dublin, 1988]100.