What a beautiful first reading we have today from Hosea 14. God tells the people, “Say to him, ‘We shall say no more, “Our god,” to the work of our hands.’ ” “I will heal their defection, says the Lord, I will love them freely.” In the Gospel passage from Mark 12, Jesus is asked which is the first of all the commandments. He answers with two: You shall love the Lord, your God and love your neighbor as yourself.
A scribe replies affirming Jesus, saying that the two commandments are “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. When Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Wow! Quite the compliment, no? How I would love to hear Jesus say those words to me. And the reason He said this is because the scribe “got it.”
There are times in my life when I really get it. The true message of love for God and love of neighbor goes right to the core of my soul. Unfortunately, there are also times when I don’t get it. I let my own pride, anger or selfishness get in the way of getting it. It’s a good thing that God is very patient with me. When it comes to understanding God’s ways, I really, really want to get it!
Father, help us to get it today. Help us to understand more and more how to love You more, and love our neighbor more. Amen.
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