In today’s Gospel our Lord speaks about the first commandment, which is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Christ then affirms what the scribe says that loving God and neighbor is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
So how do we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Marriage
First, let us look at how we love in human relationships, the prime example being marriage. In marriage, husband and wife give of themselves entirely to the other person in an exclusive lifelong covenant. Their marriage is built on love and trust. They promise to be faithful in good and bad times. Their love is life-giving. The spouses desire union with each other. All of these attributes of marriage help us to see how we can love God. We should give of ourselves entirely to God, surrendering our will to His in love and trust. We should continue to be faithful to God and His commandments in both good and bad times. Our relationship with God is also life-giving, leading to eternal life. We should desire union with God and spend time with Him every day in prayer.
Second, we should look at how God has shown His love for us. God became man and died a brutal death so that we could be united with Him in Heaven forever. Sacrifice, a total self-offering, a renunciation of our own will, is what God desires. But this total self-offering must be given because of our great love and trust in God, not because of any fear.
May God help you to build a true love for Him during this Lent! Meditating on the prodigal son and the woman caught in adultery will help you to see how merciful and loving our God is!
