The Love of God and the Love of Neighbor"

Today's Mass Readings

In a moving scene from the movie "Romero," Fr. Rotilio Grande asks the question, "how can I love God, Who I do not see, if I do not love my brother who I do see?" This is a rephrasing of that famous line from the First Letter of St. John, which reads: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (4:20). In a sense, this captures the essence of today's readings. In the first reading from the Prophet Hosea, we find a convicting passage where the people are instructed to return to God with all their heart. If any passage is an appropriate summary of Lent, surely it is this one from today's reading: "Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God" (Hosea 14:2). The people had ceased following God, and this was shown, among other ways, in their lack of love for neighbor.

In today's reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus links two central laws and binds them intimately together: the love of God and the love of neighbor. The love of God had long been a central tenant for the Israelites (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:5), but so had the idea of loving one's neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). What Jesus does is link these two ways of loving, highlighting how the love of neighbor is an important part of the love of God.

If we really want to return to God, with all our heart, this Lent, we need to examine ourselves and how well we love our neighbors. Let us ask ourselves if there is something we can do to extend even more love to our neighbors, and not just those who live in proximity to us, but to everyone with whom we come in contact. Let us take today to reflect on how well we live the twin commandments Jesus gave us.

Jeff Morrow