Rev.
Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHAT
DOES GOD REQUIRE FROM US IN THIS LIFE?
Oftentimes,
when we are faced with the realities of life, we want to know the things that
should be our first priority. What should be the most important thing to focus
our energy? What should become the foundation of all the things we need to do?
In fact, we always desire to know what is required of us in this life.
This
is the deposition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees in our Gospel passage
today, who came together and asked Jesus question concerning which commandment
is the greatest. In response Jesus reminded them of the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that
they knew and recite from their earliest years from which they learned that the
most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all their mind; that is, with all the powers and the more
noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will.
Jesus then added that, to love one’s neigbhour is the second priority.
In
other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding and
strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves is what is required of us and
it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. And Jesus set as the
standard of love not just by the love he was able to show, but the depth of
love which he shows by dying and rising for our salvation.
Dear
friends, love is the center of all the teachings of Jesus, for love is a gift
from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. A true
love is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of a person who
experience it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them
justly and honourably. We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost best
to live in peace with them. Just like Ruth in our first reading today, who
because of love said to Naomi: ‘Do not press me to leave you and to turn back
from your company, for ‘wherever you go, I will go, wherever you live, I will
live. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’
The
truth is that, the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world
today as most families exist by grace and not by love. Imagine how wonderful
the world would be if we all love one another. How I wish we can invest our
time and resources in ensuring love, justice and unity in our dealings with one
another. Believe me we will not only be fulfilling the first and greatest
commandments of God, but we will be building a happy society.
LET US
PRAY: Lord God, in you we found the fullness of love, may we truly love you and
our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness,
greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a
fruitful Friday.
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