Date: June 2,
2016
Gospel: Mark
12:28-34 New International Version (NIV)
The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard
them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him,
“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is
this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love
your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are
right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him
with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt
offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he
said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one
dared ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
Jesus clearly said in the Gospel: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment
greater than these.”
If Jesus would tell me those words, I would have
asked him: “Lord how do I love like you did? How easy can loving others be? How
can I express that love? Please help me to understand the kind of love that you
are teaching and in return to do it because I don’t know.”
I have a hard time understanding what love is and
its definition depends on each person’s experience and story. Love for me is complicated
and I guess it’s my weakness and it’s also what I lack within me (I think so).
Growing up, I had longed to feel and experience the kind of love that makes you
feel warm, joyful, contented and the kind of love that people fight for. I had
been finding that love and I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to understand
that love is simple, that love can be described as a sacrifice and being selfless
like what Jesus did for all of us on the cross.
We are 7 in the family and our parents were ex OFWs.
They had provided a great life for all my siblings. They gave what they think
was deserved by us and we are blessed for all the sacrifices that they did. They
gave us the best even if it cost them more time working and being away from us.
In the absence of our parents, we grew up with other people taking care of us.
We know that they love us because they are working hard to send us to great
schools for us to have a better future. I guess my parents showed that love in
a different way that I did not understand it before.
2 years ago, our parents have retired and our eldest
sister has a family of her own. I, being the 2nd eldest child, felt
that it is my responsibility to provide for the needs of my parents and my
sibling. I know that it’s my turn to sacrifice since I believe that sharing my
resources is one way where I can extend my love to them despite the distance. There
are times that the efforts I put cannot be appreciated and somehow that makes
me feel sad. There are moments that make me feel burdened that I just want to
give up trying. Sometimes there are unexpected situations that I need to
sacrifice my own desires so I can provide more for their urgent needs. A lot of
times I find myself complaining, worrying about my future and helplessly crying
if I cannot take it in anymore. It is very hard but by the grace of God, He
makes it possible. I guess during those trying times, God is testing as to how
I can give more to my family. He is checking my heart if I can love and think
of my family more than my own self.
Following the command of God is easy but loving
others can be so hard. Why is it so hard? I realized that love can never be
forced, never be explained completely through words, but expressed through
actions and can only be felt from our heart. Some people say that if it doesn’t
hurt then it’s not real love. At first love can hurt, but in the end it can be
tolerable and somehow it will be meaningful because you freely gave and
sacrificed it. I realized that God is measuring my capacity to love through my
family and He wants me to continue giving and be selfless in serving my own family.
I have been serving the community for 11 years now
and I believe God wants me to also serve my family. I am thankful that God made
me realized how important it is to love and accept my family. I admit that I
had neglected them when I joined the YFC community because I thought and felt
unloved before. Through my services in SFC and KFC, God made me appreciate and
value their presence more. Despite the unexplained wounds, God removed the
pains and hurts that I had buried beneath my heart. He has healed and made me
realize that it is time to let go, time to forgive and be forgiven, time to
heal and time to express my way of love to the people closest to me. He has
replaced the burdens in my heart with inner peace and joy that there’s no more
room for pain, fear and negativity. I am still a work in progress and I pray
that may God give me the mercy and grace to continue what he was entrusted me
and that may I never get tired of trying.
Everyone is created uniquely and we are blessed by
love in different ways. We are indebted to love as God has loved us despite our
faults, failures and past. In all our worries and problems, God is the answer
because God is love. Believe that he hears our prayers and assures us that difficulties
are there for a reason and he will reveal His great plan in his perfect time.
May we continue to love others more even if it hurts and obey him in all
circumstances while we rejoice, pray and give Him thanks.
And for that, may God be praised!
In whatever questions and situations that we will encounter,
let's remember that love is always the answer.
For our God is love and love is God,
therefore we can never go wrong for Love conquers all.
