Love God

10-31-2021Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

As we near the end of the liturgical year we listen to Gospel readings from the final stage of Jesus’ ministry—his teaching in Jerusalem. This Sunday Jesus is in conversation with one of the scribes of the temple. In a rare occurrence Jesus and the scribe agree on the two greatest commandments—to love God with all your being and to love your neighbor as yourself.

In today’s selection from Deuteronomy Moses gives this teaching to the Israelites as the core of their life of faith and prayer, and Psalm 18 echoes this prayer with the words, “I love you, O Lඈඋൽ, my strength” (Psalm 18:2). Jews and Christians agree that our greatest responsibility is to love the one and only God, and that we cannot claim to love God without loving our neighbor as ourselves.

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