First reading Deuteronomy 6:2-6
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
Moses said to the people: ‘If you fear the Lord your God all the days of your life and if you keep all his laws and commandments which I lay on you, you will have a long life, you and your son and your grandson. Listen then, Israel, keep and observe what will make you prosper and give you great increase, as the Lord the God of your fathers has promised you, giving you a land where milk and honey flow.
‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart.’
Responsorial Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength,
my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
Long life to the Lord, my rock!
Praised be the God who saves me,
He has given great victories to his king
and shown his love for his anointed.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
Second reading Hebrews 7:23-28
Christ, because he remains for ever, can never lose his priesthood
There used to be a great number of priests under the former covenant, because death put an end to each one of them; but this one, because he remains for ever, can never lose his priesthood. It follows, then, that his power to save is utterly certain, since he is living for ever to intercede for all who come to God through him.
To suit us, the ideal high priest would have to be holy, innocent and uncontaminated, beyond the influence of sinners, and raised up above the heavens; one who would not need to offer sacrifices every day, as the other high priests do for their own sins and then for those of the people, because he has done this once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.
Gospel Mark 12:28-34
‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.
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More loving way
In today’s gospel, through his dialogue with Jesus, the scribe came to understand the essential meaning of the commandments. The key point is love- not empty rituals. This insight allowed him to acknowledge that loving God and neighbour is “far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.” Without love as motivation, even a significant action like a sacrifice loses its meaning and purpose. On the contrary, with love as its centre, even the smallest action becomes meaningful and beneficial to others.
“Listen, Israel…” Like the scribe, we learn to listen again to God in prayer, as He shows us how to place love at the centre of our thoughts, words and actions. We do not necessarily need to make great sacrifices or go to distant places to love. Instead, we can begin by focusing on our immediate surroundings and the people close to us. As Pope Francis says, “we need only to find a more loving way of doing what we are already doing”.
Reflective question:
How is Jesus showing me to think, speak and act in a more loving way today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
