As Yourself

Friends, I know I always want to complicate things and find the depth and the why behind all that I say and do and I spend lots of time throughout the day pondering and crafting creative ways to tell stories that capture the essence of things, and sometimes it can be exhausting! Today, Jesus gives us two things that summarize it all: Love God with your whole being and love each other as yourself. It’s so not complicated and so not about religious stuff or anything calculated. We are to love. The “as yourself” part is what hit me this morning. When we love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength we become love. I’ve heard it said like this, “Your shadow will always release whatever overshadows you.” (Bill Johnson) Therefore, when we get the loving God part down, then the others part will happen automatically “as yourself” becomes love. “Your shadow will always release whatever overshadows you.” Love is one of those things that is only activated when given away. It cannot sit inside and thrive, it must be expressed, it must be acted out, it must be given freely, and this is where the non-complicated becomes difficult. I know for me I fear rejection. But when I love in the order that Jesus lays out for us today, God first, there is no rejection, no betrayal, no divorce, no abuse, and no fear, because perfect love casts out all these things. When I love God first, that love becomes my very essence and I don’t even have to do anything except be that love. Love is a verb and God is the mover. I think it just struck me that loving God with my whole being is really first and foremost letting God love me with His whole being. From that overflow, I overflow as love itself, and everyone I encounter becomes the activation of that verb of mercy, peace, joy, and kindness that first chose me. OK, see how I did that? Complicated it all!!! 

Friends! Let’s love today. As we sit in God’s love for us, our hearts, souls, minds, and strength will become love itself, which is a verb and which moves freely when we cooperate with His Spirit. God wants His perfect love to overshadow you today, so that your shadow will release that love to everyone. In this overshadowing, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God”, in fact, you are the Kingdom of God, as yourself. Forgive me for the meandering through this reflection today. I hope it makes some sort of sense. Friends, let’s love today. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 HOS 14:2-10

Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, 'Our god,'
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion."

I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
"I am like a verdant cypress tree"– 
Because of me you bear fruit!

Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 81:6C-8A, 8BC-9, 10-11AB, 14 AND 17

R. (see 11 and 9a)  I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
 nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

Verse Before The Gospel MT 4:17

Repent, says the Lord;
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Gospel MK 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall 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 shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding, 
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.