The 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirty first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Dt 6:2-6

Responsorial Psalm Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading II Heb 7:23-28

Gospel Mk 12:28b-34

Reflection:

On Friday we asked; which is more important following the letter of the Law or the spirit of the Law? We did not go into a great deal of depth on the issue other than to say that there were few absolutes in the Law. Today, however, we receive one; in Hebrew it is called the Shema: "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad). This profession of faith in the One God is repeated in the Gospel from Mark. However, where the typical prayer of the Jewish faith goes as follows:

Jesus stops after the third line above and changes the prayer, the profession, the command to one that demonstrates how significantly he came to change the world.

While the Shema originally was intended strictly as a statement that the belief in the One God is central, Jesus changes it to include the spirit of that law – that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that who ever believes in Him and follows his commands will find everlasting life.

We come back to the question from Friday; which is most important following the letter of the law or the spirit of the law? Jesus combines letter and spirit when he gives us the great commandment. He joins them in such a way that we cannot follow the letter of the Shema that tells us that; “the Lord is our God, the Lord is one (alone)” without also loving our neighbor. How can we reject that which God has made the object of such intense love?

This is a great philosophical understanding of the Christian focus, however, it is supremely difficult to accomplish on a consistent basis. How can we love those who hate us? Jesus has an answer for that as well – he tells us:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.(MT 5 43ff)

We have also said in previous posts that, as disciples, our goal is to develop the reflexes of Jesus so we always act, without thinking, in the way he would act. This Law/command/profession is the most difficult of reflexes to build. Think if you will how a parent instinctively acts to protect their child if the child were to stumble. That is how we must react toward our brothers and sisters. We have our commands today – if we accept the challenge Jesus has given us his assurance in the Gospel today – “You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Pax