New space excites us with the thought of having new stuff to fill it with. But when my wife and I cleaned our closet, we found the space beautiful. We didn’t feel the need to replace what was once there. We celebrated the space.

Have you ever noticed the wordplay between “God is nowhere” and “God is now here”? 

A dear priest friend, Fr. Eugene Fadul, reminded me that the difference is the space between the words now and here. Our lives are cluttered with so many things. They can be filled with stuff to do and things we want to possess. Relationships can be damaged with unintended pokes due to tired minds and hearts. Our circumstances tell us we need space for God to be in control. This space allows Him to bring out the best version of us. 

So, take a breather. Make space for God today. 

Dreus Cosio (andreus.cosio@gmail.com)

reflect

Do you feel tired, anxious, or worried? Does your to-do list seem unending? Pause for prayer and make space for God in your life. 

Dear Lord, I pray for the humility to let You be the God of my life. Teach me to let go of my life’s clutter and welcome Your guidance. Amen.

Saint Ansovinus, pray for us.

God is aware of how sin has messed up our lives. Sin has many contradictions, and the path of conversion to the Lord’s truth can be tortuous for some. But what then is the truth if we are not committed to it? How can we follow the Lord and His ways if we do not undo the structures of sin within us? 

² Thus says the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. ³ Take with you words, and return to the Lord; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. ⁴ Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; we shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” ⁵ I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. ⁶ I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, ⁷ and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. ⁸ Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. ⁹ Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. “I am like a verdant cypress tree”; because of me you bear fruit! ¹⁰ Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 81:6-8, 8-9, 10-11, 14, 17

R: I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

⁶ An unfamiliar speech I hear: ⁷ “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. ⁸ In distress you called, and I rescued you.” (R) “Unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of  Meribah. ⁹ Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?” (R) ¹⁰ “There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. ¹¹ I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt.” (R) ¹⁴ “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, ¹⁷ I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.” (R) 

Gospel | Mark 12:28-34

The Ten Commandments is divided into two sections: relating to God and relating to neighbors. Let us remember that at the heart of our faith is our relationship with God and His gift of salvation, as well as with others as the community of the Church. One relationship leads to the other; these are dependent on each other.

Gospel Acclamation

Repent, says the Lord; the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

²⁸ One of the scribes came to Jesus and 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.

Reflect

How do you love the Lord by loving your family, friends, and even your enemies?  

How do you experience His love through the people around you? 

Read the Bible in one year! Read GENESIS 7 - 9 today.

You can stand at the gates of Disneyland, smell the popcorn, hear the music, and still never step inside. You can hear the distant sound of a concert, feel the beat through the ground, and still never really enter into the song. Sometimes, being “close” only makes you realize what you are missing.

In today’s Gospel, a scribe approaches Jesus with a sincere question: he asks which commandment is the greatest. When Jesus answers—“love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself”—the scribe agrees wholeheartedly. Jesus responds, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” At first, it sounds like a compliment, but if we listen more closely, there is also a challenge hidden within those words. “Not far” is still not home. “Not far” is still outside.

Closeness to the Kingdom is measured by a heart that chooses to walk the way of love even when it is difficult. The scribe was close because he understood the truth. But understanding alone does not transform us. Jesus invites him—and us—not simply to know about love, but to allow love to reshape our relationships, our priorities, our daily decisions. It is not enough to recognize the beauty of the Kingdom from a distance. We are called to walk through the open gate, to live inside the reality of love, and let it claim every part of our lives.

Many times, we are content to linger near holy things and stay close enough to be inspired, but not so close that we have to change. We admire from a distance but hesitate to commit. Yet Jesus stands before us today with the same invitation: to step in fully, to live the love we claim to believe in, to be not just near the Kingdom, but to belong to it with all our heart. 

Fr. Albert Garong, SSP

reflection question

Are you willing to move from merely understanding love to living it more fully in your daily life?

Lord, give me the courage to move from admiring Your commandments to living them fully through real acts of love. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________