Love God, Neighbour, Self

When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus echoed the great commandment Moses gave the people in the first reading. To the commandment to love God with all the heart, mind, soul and strength, Jesus adds the commandment to love one’s neighbour as oneself. After giving Israel the Law, Moses admonishes the people to “observe these and it will go well with you.”

The greatest commandments, as spoken by Moses and Jesus focus on love: love of God, of self and of neighbour. But, what is this love? As expressed in Jesus’ teaching and ministry, we know that love is more than feelings and good intentions. Love involves relationships that are mutual, life-giving, that focus on justice and willing the good for the other. Love calls us to work toward self-knowledge, self-reflection and healing in our lives in order to engage respectfully with life, others and all of creation. It calls us to establish right relationship with God and with all that exists.

This call to right relationship with God and all that exists is our primary vocation. As we say yes to that primary vocation to love God, neighbour and self, we are then invited to open ourselves to the voice of the Spirit who calls us to live out that vocation in a particular state of life and career.

Whether we live our vocation to love as married, single, parents, children, lawyers, teachers, engineers, religious, priests, mechanics, botanists …..; if we live it intentionally and in response to God’s call, then as Moses told Israel “it will go well with us.” It will go well because it is in living our vocation that we find fulfillment, joy and life.

By Richard Beaudette, OMI
Vocation Team
613-806-3435
Vicar1@omilacombe.ca