We are called today to reflect on what it means to love God and our neighbour. Love is not just a feeling or an emotion but an action. We show love to God through our devotion, worship, and obedience to His will. We love our neighbours by being kind to them, helping those in need, forgiving those who wronged us, and treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Let us see how the readings talk about these points.
In the first reading, we hear about that person we may consider our neighbour. God commanded the Israelites to treat foreigners, widows, and orphans with kindness and compassion and never mistreat them. It reminds us to treat others as we want to be treated. We should be kind to those who are different from us and help those who are less fortunate. Love should be our way of life in every community.
In the second reading, St. Paul praises the Thessalonians for their faith, hope, and love, a fruit of their imitation of Christ. This passage reminds us that we should follow the example of Jesus and his disciples. We should be willing to suffer for our faith and share the good news of God’s love with others. Love should be imitated and replicated.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbours as ourselves. That is a powerful reminder about what it means to love. We should treat others with kindness and respect, just as we would like to be treated. This vocation and command to love should be obeyed. Whatever we do to God or our neighbour reflects who we are.
In conclusion, we are reminded that love is at the heart of our faith. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. But this love must always go with action. Show me your love for God and of your neighbour by your works, and I will show you how good a Christian and child of God you are.