Bible
Study: Ruth 1:1-22. / Matthew 22:34-40.
The love
of God is the summary of all the commandments. It is also the greatest of them
all. What does it mean to love God? It means to value God so much in your heart
that you would rather die than offend him even for the tiniest fraction of a
second.
Another
word for love is worship. To love is to worship. When you love somebody, you
give that person some form of power over you. You are prepared to do everything
possible to see that the person is happy even if it would cost you your
personal comfort. To love is to go to any extent in making sacrifice for the
one you love.
In other
words, if we were to really love God, we would die first before we are ever
capable of committing sin. If we love God, we would truly worship him and allow
his will rule our lives, we would sacrifice anything for him. At the heart of
Christian worship is love.
Take away
love, and all that we do in Church becomes a waste of time and energy, a show
or drama so to say! This was why Jesus had to ask Peter this question three
times, “Do you love me?” “Peter, do you love me more than these?” “Peter, do
you really love me more than these?” How can we claim to be serving God if we
love other things more than God?
The first
and greatest commandment is also intricately connected to the second
commandment which is: “You shall love you neighbour as yourself.” Of course, as
St. John says: “If any one says, "I
love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love
his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 John chapter
4, verse 20.
The Story
of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible is a story of Love. Today’s first reading
features how Ruth refused to part ways with her mother-in-law out of love. We
must learn from this story. How I wish our women will increase the love they
love they have for their mothers-in-law and stop seeing them as trying to
compete for attention over their sons.
Ruth
refused to leave Naomi, her mother-in-law because she was wise enough to know
that Naomi, being an aged woman cannot survive on her own without help. Here
comes another lesson in love; the care for the old. I often wonder why our old
people are not treated with as much care and love as they deserve. I wonder why
the moment a person is old, he or she is suddenly labelled a witch even by
their own children. When this woman was carrying you in the womb, she wasn’t a
witch, when she went through sleepless nights, she wasn’t a witch, when she
cried over your matter, she wasn’t a witch. Now that she is old and needs your
help, she suddenly became responsible for your problems.
Love is
empty if it doesn’t require anything from you. Mind you, love is not just a
feeling. It is a decision. Ruth had every reason to
Today, we remember
one of the greatest Popes in history; Pope Pius the tenth. According to Leonard
Foley, O.F.M., Pope Pius the tenth was the second of 10 children, born into a
poor Italian family. Named Joseph Sarto at birth, he became Pius the 10th at age
68. Ever mindful of his humble origin, he stated, “I was born poor, I lived
poor, I will die poor.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal
court. “Look how they have dressed me up,” he said in tears to an old friend.
To another, “It is a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They
lead me around surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemane.”
Interested
in politics, he encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically
involved. One of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of
governments to interfere by veto in papal elections—a practice that reduced the
freedom of the 1903 conclave which had elected him.
His humble
background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he
loved genuinely. He gained his strength, his gentleness and warmth for people
from the source of all gifts, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast, we often feel
embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from
people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position, on the
other hand, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we, too, have to help “restore
all things in Christ,” especially the wounded people of God.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, help me to love you with better each day that I may not let anything
stand in between us and may I see you in my neighbour and love them as myself
always. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
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