31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 4, 2012
In fairy tales and fables, we often hear about the experience of love at first sight. Boy meets girl and sparks fly. In an instant, the person knows, the audience knows, and everyone knows that these two were meant to be together forever. This is in contrast to another typical storyline that we see in the movies and TV; the gradual experience of falling in love. Two people share everything and enjoy each other’s company. Neither looks at the other in a romantic way, but circumstances lead them to suddenly awaken to the reality of the real love that they have for each other. Once again there is intense experience of attraction, but this time it is based on a much deeper knowledge of the other.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the .
Visit the Mercedarians’
In today’s Gospel, we have Jesus recalling the fundamental command of God which has been passed down for hundreds of years in the tradition of the Jewish faith. Christ reminds us that the revelation given to Moses long ago is still applicable: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Our love for God is based on a natural attraction or restlessness. We are, as St. Augustine says,“restless until we rest in (God).” God has made us for Himself and our souls and bodies long for union with Him. Yet, these feelings come and go as we at times seek fulfillment in lesser gods such as material things or money or power.
Intellect and will
The Lord has created us as a rational person radically different from the animals. The difference is that we are created in God’s image with an Intellect and Will. Also, we are different because we are able to have a real communion with another and love another person. Having a free will is certainly a great gift that the Lord respects. He will not force us physically or by our emotions to choose a relationship with Him. If we wish to spend the rest of our life wasting our time and energy making other things our god he will let us.
Imagine if God created us to be captivated by Him without a mind and a will to make free choices. We would not run from God and there would certainly be a lot more peace in the world. The cost, though, would be great! We would no longer be free to choose to love what we wish. Our human dignity would be lessened by our lack of ability to choose. Instead, we have free will and are encouraged by God to use it wisely by choosing to love things that are really eternal. We are given the commandment through Moses to love God. Naturally we are drawn to love He who is the source of all things. We can choose to love God with our whole heart and strength.
Knowing Him
The choice to love God is made much easier when we know Him. During this Year of Faith, we strive to grow in the knowledge of God. The relationship we have with God is different than with other human beings, because we cannot see Him nor can we comprehend His immensity or majesty. For this knowledge, we must rely on the Revelation given through Scripture, the Tradition passed down through the Church, and our own personal experience. It is a mistake to think we can know and love God without Revelation or Tradition. God has chosen to speak to his people. He has reveled himself to us through the Church. The Good Lord would never leave us without his revelation and truth. Today, many people think that religion is only a personal thing. This presumes that God will reveal himself to each person only. There is no need for Tradition or even the Scripture. But, the Lord has no need to reveal to each individual Himself, because he has already done so through Christ and His body the Church. The individual person does not have to seek the basic knowledge of God. We do not have to all be theologians or scholars to know Him. Instead, everyone gets an opportunity to get to know God through a relationship based on what we know from Scripture and Tradition.
Love gradually increases
As we see in many movies, TV, and books love is often a gradual thing that increases as the knowledge of the other grows. The knowledge of God grows in the heart of the believer over time and with much prayer (or conversation). In Christ, everyone is called to an awesome experience of love with their Creator. We must learn to love God for who He is and not who we think He should be. Only in honestly and sincerely coming to the Lord, as he is, can we begin the journey. It is a lifetime endeavor that takes patience and a willingness to grow in our understanding of the incomprehensible. Grace allows us to do the unthinkable — to have a real loving relationship with God. This leads to a communion that is truly special and life-changing. “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding with all your strength.”