In today’s Gospel, our Lord says: “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.” -Matthew 10:37
I think many people falsely believe that loving God more than anyone else will make you be cold and disinterested towards others. This is totally false! Our Lord Himself says: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” -Mk 12:30-31.
Follow the First, then the Second
It does not make sense that following the first commandment to love God with your whole heart would make it impossible to follow the second commandment to love your neighbor! Since our Lord laid out the commandments in this way, following the first actually makes it easier to follow the second! When we love God above all else, it perfects and purifies our love for others.
When we love God, we grow the supernatural virtue of charity. The more we love God, the more supernatural charity that we have! This supernatural love transforms us and helps us to love others as God loves them, and lets God love them through you.
A beautiful example of this is St. Therese of Liseux. In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, her overflowing love for God is so beautifully shown in the love that she has for her family, friends, and the Carmelite sisters. May God help you this week to love Him above everything and your neighbour as yourself!
[Readings: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42]
That approach to faith in a wedding setting is interesting. How do couples typically incorporate those beliefs into their ceremonies?