Jesus reminds us this morning to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind. An invitation, broad, practically immeasurable and magnificent. As Father Emmanuel reminded us, what was new was that Jesus coupled this great commandment with another: to love our neighbor as ourself. Two great commandments, indeed three; the totality of the Christian message. All-encompassing, for love is one. Loving God, loving neighbor, loving self are all of a piece. Hidden within this teaching is the reality that God in Christ first of all loves each of us with all his heart, all his soul and all his mind. This is truly breathtaking. Imagine what it might be like to live continually with this knowledge: that God loves me, likes me, delights in me. Loving God and neighbor would then be obvious and wonderfully appropriate responses to such love.
Photographs by Brother Brian.
