?You shall love the Lord...? ? Mark 12: 30-31

I remember my first year high school student who had difficulty comprehending English and Science lessons. The root of her academic difficulty was her inability to read with comprehension, and I volunteered to tutor her for two months to help her with her lessons.
      Eventually, I found out that during elementary, she had limited time to study because she was helping her mother in their small garments? business. If she did not do that, she could never study, because that business was providing for her education.
      As her adviser, I diligently repeated to her our English lessons after class hours for two months until she developed confidence. From being so shy in class, she was able to get out of her shell. She may not have been an achiever; in fact, she ranked among the low performing students in class, but her eagerness to learn paved the way for her promotion in the second year.
      In my simple way, that student was able to see light amidst darkness. I knew then, that because of my simple gesture of love, she had seen Christ in me. And I was able to fulfill God?s greatest commandment, that is, to love Him with all my heart and to love my neighbor as myself. Neri C.

REFLECTION:
Love is not a feeling; it is an act.

Father, constantly guide us as we live your greatest commandment. May we be able to exemplify it in our daily lives.

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Paul remains forever in debt to the work of the grace of God in his life. And he is not ashamed to proclaim this to the world. He has truly worked hard at attaining the gift of humility. Part of the reason for his success, I believe, is that he realized that without the grace of God his life was worth precisely nothing. That is, we are totally dependent upon the grace of God for all the things that we treasure and hope for. As we seek to follow the Lord in our lives, let us try to grow in our surrender to Him daily.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; 12 if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. 13 If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. 14 Remind people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen. 15 Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth
without deviation.

P S A L M

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10 and 14

R: Teach me your ways, O Lord.

4 Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior. (R) 8 Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R) 10 All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 14 The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (R)

G O S P E L

Mark 12:28-34

Jesus affirms that the command to love God is of primary importance. The one to love our neighbor follows close behind. In fact, if we examine their nature closely, it quickly becomes obvious that the two are so closely linked that you cannot have one without the other! As we seek to fulfill these commands let us model our life upon that of Jesus as He, of all people, has fulfilled them both perfectly.

28 One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, ?Which is the first of all the commandments?? 29 Jesus replied, ?The first is this: ?Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.? 31 The second is this: ?You shall love your neighbor as yourself.? There is no other commandment greater than these.? 32 The scribe said to him, ?Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ?He is One and there is no other than he.? 33 And ?to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself? is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.? 34 And when Jesus saw that [he] answered with understanding, he said to him, ?You are not far from the kingdom of God.? And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

my reflections
think: Have you surrendered to the law of love?

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 119

Jesus complimented the scribe who asked him about the Greatest Commandment as one who answered with understanding. Reading in between the lines of Jesus? reaction to the person, one can sense His genuine goodness even towards persons who may have come to Him with insincere motivations ? such as motivations meant to test him. On the other hand, Jesus? reaction was also a veiled challenge for the scribe. The scribe should not just keep in mind what he heard and what he seconded. If the scribe were truly a man of understanding, he should be able to apply and live out in his life the Great Commandments.
      Following the way of God rightly is not simply a matter of orthodoxy or right doctrine. Orthodoxy must lead to orthopraxy or right living. This is what Pope John Paul the Great showed us. Undoubtedly, one of the important encyclicals he promulgated in his 26 years as pope is ?The Gospel of Life.?  In this letter addressed not just to Catholics, but to all men and women of goodwill, the late Pope expounded on the value of human life in all its stages from the helpless life of a child in the womb, to the fragile life of one who is old or terminally ill. The most striking thing, however, is that this holy Pope taught about ?The Gospel of Life? with his very example. He showed the world what respect for life means. He showed how even the final moments of life could be met with much dignity and serenity while the rest of the world watched, prayed and waited.
      To be a person of great understanding means more than just listening to Gospel-based talks and saying ?Amen? or ?Alleluia.? To be a person of real understanding is to be able to ?demonstrate rightly? what we have heard. It means to walk the talk. Fr. Domie G.

REFLECTION QUESTION:
Recall the powerful sermons, homilies and talks that really touched you. What made you feel that these talks were truly ?anointed?? What fruits did these sermons have in your own life, your own way of doing things, and your own way of relating with people?

Help me practice what I preach, Lord.

Blessed Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidian, virgin foundress, pray for us.