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 inseparable. Our love for God must find expression in the way we treat the people he has created. Equally, genuine love of neighbour is not merely a matter of sentiment; it is rooted in our recognition that every human person has dignity before God. We cannot claim to love the invisible God while deliberately neglecting the suffering person standing before us.

The first reading makes this connection concrete. God commands the Israelites not to oppress strangers, widows or orphans, and not to exploit the poor. He reminds them that they, too, were once strangers in Egypt (Ex 22:20-26). Their experience of suffering should make them compassionate towards others. Having received mercy, they must not become agents of another person’s misery. God’s concern for the vulnerable is so serious that he declares he will hear their cry.

This message challenges us to look beyond the words we use to describe our faith. How do we treat those who cannot repay us? Do we exploit people who depend on us, dismiss the poor because they are inconvenient, or treat strangers with suspicion and contempt? Love becomes credible when it protects the dignity of others, especially those who have little power to defend themselves.

In the second reading, St Paul praises the Thessalonians for receiving the Gospel with joy and becoming examples to other believers (1 Thes 1:5-10). Their faith did not remain a private conviction; it became a testimony that others could see and imitate. The same is expected of us. Our Christian lives should make the love of Christ visible in our homes, workplaces, communities and society.

Finally, Jesus does not ask us to choose between loving God and loving our neighbour. He calls us to discover that one must lead to the other. The love we profess in prayer must become the love we practise in daily life. When we honour God by the way we treat others, especially the vulnerable, we begin to fulfil the heart of his law.