HEAR, O ISRAEL!
October 31, 2021: A Reflection for the 31st Sunday of O.T., Year B
Mark 12:28b-34
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than this.” (Mk 12:29-31)
We’ve all been blessed with a spiritual DNA. So, what does it look like? Today’s Gospel opens the window wide and gives us the opportunity to gaze into the depths of how God made us to be. We came from the creative love of God, are called forth to live in that love and to be an active expression of it through love of neighbor.
Just hearing the great Shema, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!” is like thunder and stillness in one movement, both washing over us in the same moment. It evokes a sense of purpose as to our existence and the profundity of touching the very core of our being, the abode of God in each one. It is the source of who we are and from which God beckons, the source of love abiding in us. And this love calls us to yield our whole being – heart, soul, mind and strength – in response.
How do we make visible this love of God that we are called to? Since the meaning of life lies in our understanding of this, Jesus is quick to let us know that it is in loving care and service of our neighbor that we manifest our love of God. Sweet feelings are fine, but they are not a guarantee. The hard work of truly putting others before us, of a smile when we feel like growling. It is the understanding heart that offers a helping hand or simply a loving presence when words get in the way. We all know the many ways that we can be there for each other.
So may we rest in the indwelling love of God in our center and return love by our sincere response to each other in the humble dailiness of life. Since God has identified with our neighbor, we can live in love in each moment.