Called to love

We are called to love.  Notice that we are not asked to love or encouraged to love or even recommended to love.  We are called to love.  What does that mean?

In today's Gospel reading, a Scribe asked Jesus "Which is the first of all the commandments?"  Jesus replied by quoting Scripture (Deuteronomy and Leviticus), "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" (Mk. 12:28-31). 

Jesus tells the Scribe and all of us that to love God and to love neighbor are the most important things.  There is nothing else you can do that will replace these two commands.  In order to love God and others we must first learn how to receive love.  It is God who loved us first.  We were loved into existence.  Love is the gift that God gives to us, freely and unreservedly.  Once we have received God's love we can in turn love Him and others.  God's love to us must be received.  God gives it to us, but we need to choose to accept it and receive it.  God will not force us to receive it.  We must make a decision.  

Earlier I said that we are called to love.  To be called means that it is something that God has placed into our hearts.  To be called to do something means by doing whatever it is it will give us the most joy and peace.  It is part of our very nature to love.  To love means to will the good of others.  To love means do what we are able to do help others and to let them know the Truth.  To love means to look upon others with the loving gaze of the Father.  To love means to keep loving even when we have been rejected.  To love means to sacrifice.  To loves means that we know who we belong to and why we do the things we do.  We love because we know we are God's beloved, and we do the things we do because we know who we are doing it for: God.  True love requires sacrifice.  Sacrifice may be painful, but love will give you hope and strength to keep persevering to love.

Let us ask God for the grace of humility to receive His love, trust to believe in His love, and the courage and strength to live out His love.  When we do all that we can to love God and love others, we can be hopeful that Our Lord will say to us: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."  

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