30th Sunday Ordinary Time year ’A’

« The Pharisees, learning that he shut up the Sadducees, got together and one of them, a doctor of the Law, asked this question to Jesus wanting to put him to the test : ’Master, in the Law, what is the greatest commandment ? » The climate around Jesus is one of suspicion and there is much polemic. Jesus keeps on moving forward, and speaks of what is important for him. He will open up the minds of the opponents and their hearts too. He doesn’t run away from the subject but he pays homage to the truth by condensing all the faith of Israel in quite an extreme way. He does this by bringing together Love for God and Love for our sisters and brothers. He announces an attitude of love which helps each and every one of us to move forward in true Life in every situation. Jesus is put to the test yet this enables him to speak about what is most important in his heart. This really is good news for humanity. The coincidence of Love for God and love for our sisters and brother is so strong as we can read in this Word : ’You shall not ill-treat the immigrant who dwells in your home, if he cries to me, I shall listen to him, says Dod, for I am compassionate. This invites us to put on once more the feeling which are in God’s Heart. The Jews would count 613 commandments to be observed, which are divided between ’the big ones’ and ’the little ones’. Jesus will in fact speak about the ’greatest’ commandment. « Jesus answered them : ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. » Jesus invites us to ’love God with all our body, with all our soul and with all our mind.’ Love for God cannot be true unless it is accompanied by a love ’for our neighbour as one’s self.’ A Love for God doesn’t open up to a sincere love for men if we don’t risk speaking a word that is a true one. If we love a brother without loving God then there wouldn’t be the respectful distance required for the complete growth of this relationship. Following Jesus requires this double and radical opening up to God our Father and to our sisters and brothers in humanity. So as to bring these two forms of love together, we need a whole life-span. The answer that Jesus gives is truly clear. Th first commandment is that of Love : ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and will all your mind. The second is similar to it : ’You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Little by little in these Words we become more and more conscience of the link between the love for God and the love we bear towards ourselves, and the love we bear towards other people ! The love of our neighbour just as the love we have for ourselves has its source in the love we receive from God. "And the second one is similar to it : you shall love your neighbour as yourself. The Law depends on these two commandments, as the Prophets.’ Numerous difficulties we have in the realm of love stems in the fact that we have a negative way of seeing ourselves, and in an unconscious way we project this upon other people. The pain we have in not being able to love nor of being loved comes most often from the negativity of our surroundings. We haven’t always been greatly loved nor respected. And so, we have built ourselves a sort of pessimistic ’vision’ of ourselves. The love we receive from God and our surroundings will determine the love we bear for God and our neighbour. Jesus always gives an act of friendship and love in truth. The truth of his being is not one that condemns but a truth which opens up the debate. May Jesus helps us to withstand firmly in truth in the situations of conflict we may be in. The Love God reveals to us nourishes and reinforces the relationships of love we have one for another. Weare called to love in the Love God gives us : ’Where there is no longer any love, put Love there and you will receive love’ said St. John of the Cross.