REFLECTION FOR TODAY,
August 21, 2020
By Fr. Andrew Ibegbulem, OSA
“When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:34-37
This great commandment of Jesus can seem intimidating at times. To love “With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” We may think that to love God with everything we are, heart, soul and mind, we must do continually perform great and heroic acts of virtue. When we think like that, we will realize that we are seldom capable of great and virtuous acts. Divine love is not really about doing. Our life with God is meant to be a dialogue of love.
What does this depth of love look like practically speaking? It’s easy for this to become a lofty thought or sermon of words, but it’s challenging to let this thought or sermon become a testimony of our actions. Do you love God with your whole being? With every part of who you are? What does that mean exactly?
Perhaps this depth of love will manifest itself in many ways.
Friendship: One basic manifestation of love is through friendship. The relationship between Moses and God is described as friendship (Ex. 33:11). We too can approach God as friends with the boldness of faith in Jesus’ saving death and resurrection. Think about the way you relate to a friend and a love one. You express your love for them, seek their opinions and look up to them. we can go to God, our heavenly Father in the same way.
Entrustment: Entrustment of our lives to God is a requirement of love. God is perfect and, therefore, loving Him requires that we see His perfection, understand this perfection, and act in accordance with it. When we see and understand who God is, the effect is that we must trust Him completely and without reserve. God is all-powerful and all-loving. An all-powerful and all-loving God must be trusted to an unlimited extent.
Interior fire: Entrustment of ourselves will set our hearts on fire! This means that we will see the Holy Spirit do amazing things within our souls. We will see God acting and transforming us. It will be more than what we could ever do to ourselves. God will take charge and do great things in us, transforming our lives, just as a blazing fire becomes all consuming.
Actions beyond your ability: The effect of a blazing fire of the Holy Spirit within us is that God will do great things in the lives of those around us through us. We will witness God at work and be amazed at what He does. We will witness firsthand His amazing power and transforming love and it will happen through us. What a gift!
Reflect, today, upon your total love of God. Are you all in? Are you completely committed to serving our Lord and His holy will? Don’t hesitate. It’s worth it!
Lord, open my heart to your passionate love, help me to love You with my whole heart, mind, soul and strength. Help me to love You with my whole being. In that love, I pray You transform me into Your instrument of grace. Jesus, I trust in You!