Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

28 Then one of the teachers of the Law heard them arguing. He thought Jesus had spoken well. He asked Him, "Which Law is the greatest of all?" 29 Jesus said to him, "The greatest Law is this, 'Listen, Jewish people, The Lord our God is one Lord! 30 You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) This is the first Law.

 31 "The second Law is this: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' (Leviticus 19:18) No other Law is greater than these."

 32 Then the teacher of the Law said, "Teacher, You have told the truth. There is one God. There is no other God but Him. 33 A man should love Him with all his heart and with all his understanding. He should love Him with all his soul and with all his strength and love his neighbor as himself. This is more important than to bring animals to be burned on the altar or to give God other gifts on the altar in worship." 34 Jesus saw he had spoken with understanding. He said to him, "You are not far from the holy nation of God." After that no one thought they could ask Him anything.

Meditation: What is the purpose of God's law or commandments? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose. What does God require of us?  Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what he loves and reject what is hateful and contrary to his will. What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us?  Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves. Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart?  Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?

Prayer: "We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son." (Prayer of Anselm, 12^th cen.)

Psalm 25:4-4-5,8-10,14

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths.
 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God Who saves me. I wait for You all day long.

8 Good and right is the Lord. So He teaches sinners in His ways.
 9 He leads those without pride into what is right, and teaches them His way.
 10 All the paths of the Lord are loving and true for those who keep His agreement and keep His Laws.

14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him. And He will make them know His agreement.