Dear Padre Artical - 21st February 2010

Dear Linda,

In Matthew 22:36-40, a scholar asks Jesus “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" [Jesus] said to him, ‘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 the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

But there is no separating the two greatest commandments from the other eight. All Ten Commandments offer us ways to practically measure our love of God and love of neighbour: Do I go to Mass on Sunday? Do I steal, defraud? Cheat on my spouse? If I do, then I must deal with the practical issues involved and not pretend that in my heart I love God above all. John’s first letter (4:20) tells us, “If anyone says,’I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

But in the end, it all comes together in the two greatest commandments, also known as the Law of Love. How wil1 you ever be able to love like that? Ask God to make your heart like his. He will share his heart with you so you can live like his loving and beloved daughter.