“Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?”
How do we stay in a right relationship with God? How do we love and serve Him in a way that pleases Him? There are rules to our commitment. The word “rules” suggests burdensome restrictions but would God really want to bind up our gift of love and loyalty? Of course not! However, He knows that we are easily distracted from our purpose. We need guidelines.
He gave the people of the Old Testament rules of life to keep them true to their Covenant with Him. These rules – the Law of Moses – were summarised in The Ten Commandments, What rules does God give us, the people chosen by His Son as His disciples? We hear it today from the lips of Jesus Himself. When questioned by the Pharisees, who want Jesus to go one better than the Ten Commandments and pick out “the greatest”, Jesus is able to do just that! He can “hang the whole Law and the Prophets also” on the simple formula: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart …. and love your neighbour as yourself.”
From the book of Exodus, we learn that not keeping the commandments has consequences. If the widow or the orphan or the poor man is treated harshly then God will hear their cry and His anger will flare. There is a clear warning here– the One who is full of pity can also be full of payback. We are “servants of the real, living God” and holiness of life depends on practising faith in all its forms. The Catechism tells us that “moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative”. [CCC2062] The Opening Prayer of the Mass today: “May we do with loving hearts what you ask of us” - and the reason? - so we may “come to share the life you promise.”
Remember the Gospel of the 28th Sunday. We can be left out of the banquet of the kingdom of heaven! So, let us not grow complacent. Let us be vigilant for and enthusiastic for our Christian mission. To accept the friendship, love and call of Jesus we must keep His commandments; we must bear fruit. And we can only do that by the grace that flows from obedience.
— GM