LOVE: The Greatest Law... Our Ultimate Mission!

October 23, 2011 

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

World Mission Sunday
Ex 22,20-26 . 1Thes 1,5c-10

Mt 22,34-40

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The world of man is full of laws which he must abide lest he may suffer the consequences. There are traffic laws, Sanitary laws, penal codes, Republic Acts, Presidential Proclamations, and so on. This has one goal: to inflict discipline over all citizens in a particular place. Following these laws would mean our safe and sane living in a community. On the other hand, those who will violate will have one good punishment; you may stay in prison, do community work, be in exile, or in other times face death. There is no move without a certain law.

As said, every law of man is merely based on God's Divine precepts. We are asked by our catechists in Elementary School, Ibigay ang Sampung Utos ng Diyos. As Christians, we are always reminded from childhood the sense and essence that is behind God's law. We are always told to live by this law otherwise God will get mad at us. Sometimes, Indian thoughts are incorporated with our ideologies, the likes of Huwag kang gagawa ng masama... makakarma ka niyan!! Though we do not believe in karma, we have this thought in mind that everything has a fruit in the near future.

So, a pharisee asks, Which, Master, is the greatest commandment? The Jews have 600+ precepts underneath the ten commandments which the Lord gave to Moses on the mountain. Indeed, which of these may serve as the greatest of all commandments?

Jesus, with all the wisdom given by His Father, makes a good jive of all these laws and turns it into two commandments which is referred to as the basis of the Law and the Prophets. Every law taught, every prophecy preached has this as its root, and has this as its ultimate goal:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all  your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind! This is the Greatest and the First Commandment.

God loves us, we know this by sending his Son Jesus for us to be saved through his saving death on the Cross. He lets his only Son show His ultimate love through his teachings, healing and other acts. He admonishes everyone to love God above all, so that we my be saved. 

On the other hand, God knows all our efforts to love him. We strive to live in holiness, getting rid of every sin, and express our deep and profound love for Him. This also goes for his Divine cohort, the Virgin Mary and the Saints. In our prayers, in our vigils before the Blessed Sacrament, in our recitation and meditation of Mary's Rosary, and in our every sacrifice we undertake, we desire to give and consecrate our whole being to God as a sign of our love and devotion to Him who loves us ultimately. 

But does our love for God end with prayers and sacrifices? Jesus doesn't end actually in giving this First and Greatest Commandment, he continues to proclaim:

The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself!

We go through our everyday thoroughfares, encountering different cultures, meeting different people, and communicating with everyone of differing backgrounds. We usually go their way, not focusing on their needs and continuing to show concern for our material needs. Oftentimes, we do acts of violence against them, without considering their status in the society. Mahalaga lang ay ang nasa circle natin, tapos! Iyung mga mahihirap sa squatters, iyung mga maysakit sa ospital, iyung mga pulubi, at iyung ibang tao na di ko naman kilala, naku't wala akong pakialam sa kanila!

Jesus challenges us: Love your neighbor as yourself! This covers anyone and everyone who we may meet and encounter everyday. Just as we show our affection for our beings, we are also called to show affection - to show love - for these people who are also God's beloved. 

Faith without good works is a dead faith! Saint James reminds us in his epistle of the real attitude - the real mission - which we must possess as Christians: Kung mahal natin ang Diyos, dapat ay mahal rin natin ang ating kapwa gaya ng pagmamahal natin sa sarili. Sa pagmamahal natin sa iba na walang katumbas na halaga, pinapakita na rin natin ang pagmamahal natin sa Diyos. It should not end in prayers only; we should also act in the best way possible so that we may express with our whole selves how much we love God.

Of course, we cannot love in our own strength only! We are always welcome to ask for the Lord's strength and guidance so that we may be led to what is really to be done. And so, we pray for our weak selves, that fail as we may be, we may always strive to follow His greatest commandments: Love God above all,and love our neighbor as ourselves!

So, we may still follow all these laws every single day throughout our lives, but let us be reminded of the Greatest Law which is also our Ultimate Mission as Christians: LOVE!

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