Today’s reflection for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time is all about the law that must guide our every thought, choice, action and reaction. Today’s reflection is about the “rail” on which our life, in all its facets, is supposed to run.
The expert of the law double-checked with Jesus about it by asking: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (cf. Mark 12:28-34) It is called “Shema” because its first word is “hear,” “shema” in Hebrew. It is like saying: “Forget about anything else. This is what must guide you, enlighten you, and help you make the right choices. All the rest is bound to stem from your love for God!”
Even without being versed in Old Testament matters, we all understand, even viscerally, the meaning of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In loving our God, we should always give him 100% of all that we have and are.
This is the answer which the expert of the law was expecting to hear back from Jesus. But he must have been shocked that Jesus gave, instead, a broader view of the law of love. Unprompted by the lawyer, Jesus added two “side rails” to the “monorail” of our love for God.
The law of love given by God and clarified by Jesus is complete only with the inclusion of love of neighbor and love of self. These three rails assure the correctness of our observance of the law of love. This truth is confirmed, most certainly, by Jesus’ and the expert’s agreement that the law of love of God, neighbor and self is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
I can hardly imagine the shockwaves that these words must have sent out all around Jesus. Yet, come to think of it, we might feel similar shockwaves ourselves. We sense that one’s love for God can lend itself to massive and prolonged self-delusion. There is something about certain “pious people” that makes us uneasy and suspicious, especially if they tend to be judgmental, critical, inflexible and opinionated. This is what God tells us through the writings of St. John about self-deception: If anyone says, “I love God,” but does not love his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)
For this reason, during the Last Supper, during the institution of the new and everlasting form of worship in absolute, Jesus gave us his new commandment of loving each other as he loved us on the cross. (cf. John 13:34) So, now, we know that we must love God with our entire being. We know that we must love each other to the point of total self-giving. Now, according to God’s mindset, how are we to love ourselves even as we might have to reach the extreme point of giving up our very existence for someone else?
Well, before we start working in such a way as to prepare ourselves for the ultimate sacrifice, how do we channel our efforts to avoid selfishness and self-absorption? Our limited resources and efforts must be utilized for maximum outcome by using correctly our minds, our hearts and all means available to us through the universal Family of God, through the Church.
First, we ought to apply sound judgement over instinct. One of the instructions given by the flight attendant before takeoff is the one of mothers putting on the oxygen mask themselves first, before placing the mask on their child in case of emergency. Likewise, common sense tells us that genuine love of self requires self-discipline, willpower, resolve and perseverance. This is what society expects of those called to help us in difficult times: firefighters, police, EMS personnel, and so on.
Genuine love of self expects us to take care of our health in all its aspects: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. If instead of having mastery over our inclinations, instincts and drives we are ruled by rogue passions, far from being ready to help others we wind up being in costly and excessive need of care ourselves.
A first assessment of our health in all its aspects can tell us if past choices might have led us to be in situations in which a form of self-loathing has resulted in consuming more than our due share of assistance and care. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls us also to love of self through integrity of personhood. The means suggested are: self-knowledge, spirit of renunciation, obedience to God’s commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer.
Allow me to add something else that should help us to be free of cumbersome personal baggage as we make our love of others prompter and far-reaching. It is the ability to prioritize social goals in the light of the Gospel. Jesus is very explicit about the reason why the Father, who is the Source of all life, sent him to us: … I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Consequently, our decision to oppose abortion with all legal means at our disposal, must trump all other decisions to address social issues because, clearly, if one is deprived of life before being born, to speak of any other rights and issues is pointless and cruelly ludicrous.
May the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and strengthen our resolve to do all we can to implement Jesus’ new commandment of loving each other as he has loved us, starting with the least of our brothers and sisters.
