Love
Love March 4, 2005 Mk 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this: 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 these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
When I was preparing to leave the Episcopal Church and become a member of the Catholic Church I remember talking with John the Pastoral Associate and Peggy the pastor. My comment was that I expected that our faiths and beliefs were going to be one and the same with the basic guidance of loving God and loving our neighbor and all of the other rules and customs coming after that.
It was 1998 when I entered the Catholic Church and Peggy was a part of the service fully vested, my Episcopal minister and pastor. It was a joy to me to have a unity of faith in the service. I entered the Catholic Church because there were things that I was being called by God to do as a Catholic but I have always had my heart open to all faiths. I believe that God loves all people who walk in God's ways and that only God truly knows who they are. Our love for God and each other are the building block and foundation for all of our faiths no matter what name or shape that they take.
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this: 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 these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
When I was preparing to leave the Episcopal Church and become a member of the Catholic Church I remember talking with John the Pastoral Associate and Peggy the pastor. My comment was that I expected that our faiths and beliefs were going to be one and the same with the basic guidance of loving God and loving our neighbor and all of the other rules and customs coming after that.
It was 1998 when I entered the Catholic Church and Peggy was a part of the service fully vested, my Episcopal minister and pastor. It was a joy to me to have a unity of faith in the service. I entered the Catholic Church because there were things that I was being called by God to do as a Catholic but I have always had my heart open to all faiths. I believe that God loves all people who walk in God's ways and that only God truly knows who they are. Our love for God and each other are the building block and foundation for all of our faiths no matter what name or shape that they take.
posted by Joan Morris at 5:52 AM
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