To love God above all
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: Matthew 10:37-42
Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.""Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
Reflection
In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus instructing his apostles to continue his mission — “the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.” He is urging them to love God above all things, to take up their cross, and to believe that only in Him they will find plenitude of life.
As a human experience, whenever we love someone, we are willing to give all the best of ourselves, even if some sacrifices must be made. For example, parents, in loving their children, strive to offer them everything. They love them and give all they have. It is very human that we love our parents, our friends. However, in some moments, especially when life goes well with us, with our families we forget about the existence of God in our life. In the gospel we heard “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” With this, Jesus is telling us that we must love God beyond anything, after all He is our Father, our human parents can stay with us in life time, but God our Father will be with us always.
So, how can we know God more in order to love Him more? Dear brothers and sisters, we can draw closer to God through active participation in the sacraments, by reading the Bible, and by being aware of His presence in our daily activities — making the Sign of the Cross and entrusting our day to God. Let us have the courage to know Him more and allow Him to be part of our daily life. If we are with Jesus, the crosses we carry in life will be easier to bear, for we know that He is with us.
Likewise, today’s gospel invites us to welcome all those who are promoters of truth and to work together, because in receiving these promoters of truth, “we receive Jesus, and whoever receives Jesus receives the Father.” In the first reading, we have a very beautiful illustration of a woman who welcomed the prophet Elisha. We hear that the woman, knowing that Elisha was a man of God, spoke with her husband so that they might offer him a place to rest. The family decided to provide a room for the prophet Elisha so that whenever he visited, he could rest in their home. In response, Elisha, being a prophet and feeling grateful to the woman, told her: “this time next year, you will be fondling a baby son.” This is, in some way, an experience I have during my ministry as a priest — whenever I go to bless a home, or sometimes after Mass, I receive something. I tell the people: may God bless you for your offering. We know that being promoters of God we will receive abundant blessings not only on earth but in the life to come.
Today, as followers of Christ, let us strive to know Him more so that, in knowing Him more, we may love Him more. By loving Him more, we will be able to surrender our lives to Him completely. Let us trust in Him in every situation of life, and let us welcome His messengers of truth and love. Amen
Reflection Questions
1.What place does God truly occupy in my life?
2.How do I welcome and support those who proclaim God’s truth and love?
