The First Reading reminds us not to mistreat the disadvantaged or we may soon be one of them.
St Paul in the Second Reading reminds the Thessalonians to imitate him as he does Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds the Pharisees and us that if we truly want to understand the ways and desires of God, we need to see things through the lens of love. The love for God and love for neighbour are intimately linked. This is why terrorists who claim to harm or murder their neighbours in the name of God, are as far from the truth as can be imagined. Instead they do the work of the devil, who is a murderer from the beginning.
God therefore, must be number one in our lives. Jesus tells us earlier on in the Gospel that if we love our family more than Him, we are not worthy of Him (cf. Mt 10:37-39). As St Augustine said in his Book of Confessions: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. Loving God with all our soul, involves keeping one’s soul spotless by frequent, preferably weekly Confession. Loving God with all our mind, means thinking good thoughts and feeding our mind with what is good, true and beautiful. We must be very careful to avoid occasions of sin, for example, impure material that can come to us through the television, the internet and certain literature. In addition, as Catholics our faith formation is ongoing. We have a duty to know our Faith, through reading the Scriptures and studying the Catholic Catechism. In the Church we are also blessed to have a true treasure house full of other literature which will nourish our minds. This includes the Lives of the Saints and the 36 Volumes of the Book of Heaven by Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta. The latter talks of the coming Kingdom of the Divine Will upon the earth, which is very pertinent for the days in which we are living.
The Rosary is also not some optional extra, but a vital part of our Catholic Faith. I personally have found that by meditating daily on the mysteries of Christ’s life in the Rosary, I have greatly grown in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us. As Catholics, we should strive to grow in all the natural virtues such as: humility, mercy, meekness, fortitude, liberality, temperance, and chastity. These grow through practice, practice and practice. However, the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity are infused by the Holy Spirit at Baptism both through our prayer life and practice. It is important to ask for an increase in these three virtues, which many do on the three Hail Marys, before we pray the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Finally, in order to love we must aim to grow in purity of heart, that is spiritual cleanliness and whole-heartedness. This is because without a pure heart we can’t love in the selfless way that the great saints like St Gregory were able too. One day we will be judged on love, so like St Paul lets aim to imitate Christ who lived the perfect life of love! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
Christian Love?
Christian love is more about what we do, than about what we feel. A great example of love for neighbour is found in the life of Pope St Gregory the Great. He was Pope for thirteen years before his death in 604. He organized an army of volunteers to go through the streets of Rome daily to tend to the sick, feed the poor and place the homeless on farms around the city. These farms were leased to them for three generations, and every day the Pope fed twelve poor pilgrims at his own table. He insisted on serving them at table himself. One day he entered the dining room to feed his guest pilgrims and counted thirteen, instead of the usual twelve. When asked about the extra person, his steward insisted there were only twelve. But as the meal progressed Pope Gregory noticed that the face of the extra guest kept changing. At first, he looked young, then middle aged, then old. His appearance went back and forth. When the Pope could stand the mystery no longer, he drew the strange young man aside and asked him who he was? The stranger answered: I am the angel whom God sent to you to prove your charity. Now, do not fear, God has sent me to be your guardian and whatever you ask will be granted you, through me. St Gregory as a great example of self-forgetful Christian love. This story is also a reminder to us that God keeps an account of our every act of charity. We must remember that people are more important than things. We should never be too busy for a kind word or sincere smile. God knows that we can’t all do the great Corporal Works of Mercy as did Pope Gregory and others, but we can all pray for our neighbour and especially for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, during November. The Church says: It is a great act of charity to pray for the dead.
A solid prayer life is critical for our own spiritual development. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: We live as we pray. Those with a well-developed prayer life are generally far more charitable towards others. Jesus says in today’s Gospel: You must 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. The second resembles it: you must love your neighbour as yourself.
God therefore, must be number one in our lives. Jesus tells us earlier on in the Gospel that if we love our family more than Him, we are not worthy of Him (cf. Mt 10:37-39). As St Augustine said in his Book of Confessions: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. Loving God with all our soul, involves keeping one’s soul spotless by frequent, preferably weekly Confession. Loving God with all our mind, means thinking good thoughts and feeding our mind with what is good, true and beautiful. We must be very careful to avoid occasions of sin, for example, impure material that can come to us through the television, the internet and certain literature. In addition, as Catholics our faith formation is ongoing. We have a duty to know our Faith, through reading the Scriptures and studying the Catholic Catechism. In the Church we are also blessed to have a true treasure house full of other literature which will nourish our minds. This includes the Lives of the Saints and the 36 Volumes of the Book of Heaven by Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta. The latter talks of the coming Kingdom of the Divine Will upon the earth, which is very pertinent for the days in which we are living.
The Rosary is also not some optional extra, but a vital part of our Catholic Faith. I personally have found that by meditating daily on the mysteries of Christ’s life in the Rosary, I have greatly grown in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us. As Catholics, we should strive to grow in all the natural virtues such as: humility, mercy, meekness, fortitude, liberality, temperance, and chastity. These grow through practice, practice and practice. However, the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity are infused by the Holy Spirit at Baptism both through our prayer life and practice. It is important to ask for an increase in these three virtues, which many do on the three Hail Marys, before we pray the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Finally, in order to love we must aim to grow in purity of heart, that is spiritual cleanliness and whole-heartedness. This is because without a pure heart we can’t love in the selfless way that the great saints like St Gregory were able too. One day we will be judged on love, so like St Paul lets aim to imitate Christ who lived the perfect life of love! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!