Loving God And Our Neighbor Is A Promise Of Our Baptism! Let Us Actively Be Present To Those In Need As Jesus Continually Serves Us With His Love.

For those of you who have been reading my blog this last year, you may have noticed that I often reference love of God and of one another.  It was not just from hearing and reading St. Mark’s Gospel today, but more so from me trying to understand the promise I made as an adult about my childhood Baptism and how to live up to it as a committed disciple.

Saying you love someone and actually showing it is not necessarily the same thing.  Praying to God is a positive expression acknowledging who He is in our life.  But do the prayers relate to actions which uphold what God asks of us in providing love, mercy and forgiveness to those who He created?  In other words do we connect love of God and neighbor as Jesus said we should in St. Mark’s Gospel today?

Jesus’ version of loving God and our neighbor is expanded from the “Shema” prayer we read in Deuteronomy which focuses on a God of the Israelites as the chosen people.  Anyone outside of the Jewish faith was considered a Gentile who was not accepted as a true follower. 

With Jesus, all are welcome because God created all and offers to everyone a relationship for those who love Him with their heart, soul, mind and strength and follow the ways of the Lord.  The second commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself also comes with the caveat: As Jesus loves us by offering His life for our sins so we can receive everlasting life by His resurrection.

So what does it take to not be far from the Kingdom of God as Jesus said about the scribe who voiced his understanding based on Jesus’ answer to his question about which is the first of all the commandments?  In brief, be present for those in need: The hungry, homeless, poor, incarcerated, sick, dying, widows, orphans, marginalized, disenfranchised and impoverished to name a few.

If there is a homeless shelter, consider taking food, clothing or sundries like tooth brushes and combs.  If you know someone who is sick, stop by and visit with them or go to the store to pick up their prescription.  Widows and elderly are often lonely and would enjoy seeing someone to just talk about various items.

Maybe there is someone in your family with whom you are not close due to a disagreement many years ago.  Take time to reach out to them to see if you can reunite rather than hold on to a grudge that may now be a vague memory and a lost opportunity to strengthen the family.

The list is of things to be done is endless.  But, God is telling us in our Baptism that we need to be in relationship with Him and all He has created.  If we are not, how can we say we are a disciple unless we act upon the promises we made to love God and our neighbor?  As believers, we need to be the role models to take those first steps not to check off a “to do list,” but to genuinely follow the ways of God as did Jesus in teaching the Gospel message and then living it by taking care of those in need.

Let us say “Yes” to God’s call in thought, word and deed.  By doing so, we will no longer need to question ourselves if we are on the right path of a life-long journey to serve.  We will know it so when it is our time to be called by God to His heavenly Kingdom, we won’t be worried if we have a place.  We will be ready to say yes to God’s question about loving Him and our neighbor.  It is then that we will hear His response: Welcome into my Kingdom of Heaven, good and faithful servant!  

Reading 1: Deuteronomy 6: 2-6
Reading 2: Hebrews 7: 23-28
Gospel: Mark 12: 28b-34