Homily For Friday Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 23rd August, 2024

 

Readings:  Ezek. 37:1-14, PS.107, Matt. 22:34-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT OF GOD?

 

As human beings, we always desire to know what is required of us in this life. This is even more serious when we are faced with the realities of life, then we wish to know the things that should be our priority. What should be the most important thing to focus our energy on? What should become the foundation of all the things we need to do?

 

This is the deposition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees in our Gospel passage today, who came together and asked Jesus questions concerning which commandment is the greatest. In response Jesus reminded them of the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that they knew and recited 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 neighbour 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. Jesus set the standard of love not just by the love he was able to show but also by the depth of love which he showed by dying and rising for our salvation.

 

An event that prophet Ezekiel prophesied in our first reading talking about the rising of the dried bones, which represents the ugly condition of the great soldiers of the chosen people of God, who are saying, our bones are dried up, our hope has gone; we are as good as dead.” But the Lord says I am now going to open your graves; I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of life again.

 

Dear friends, the question we need to ask ourselves today is: do we truly love God and our neighbours? This is important because love is the centre 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. True love is not hidden; it radiates from the innermost being of a person who experienced 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.

 

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 loved one another. How I wish we could invest our time and resources in ensuring love 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 community.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in you we found the fullness of love, for you made us to share in your love. Grant that we may 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. Have a fruitful day