LOVE THAT REACHES OUR NEIGHBOUR
Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Exodus 22:20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40. It is possible to be religious without allowing our religion to transform the way we treat others. We can pray, attend Mass and observe devotional practices, yet remain indifferent to the suffering of those around us. Today’s Gospel challenges us to examine the relationship between our love for God and our love for our neighbour. When a scholar of the law asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest, Jesus responds by bringing together two commandments from the Old Testament. The first is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind; the second is to love our neighbour as ourselves (Mt 22:34-40). Jesus declares that the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. He is not replacing the other commandments with two easier ones. Rather, he identifies the foundation that gives meaning to them all. The two commandments are insepara...
