GOSPEL

You are not far from the kingdom of God
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.

The Gospel of the Lord

A Step Towards a “Yes”

The first commandment is not: You will lead many catechism classes, evangelise many people, organise numerous retreats, or ensure everything is perfectly arranged. The first commandment is about my intimate relationship with the Lord and my complete “yes” to Him. For married couples, our way of giving ourselves fully to the Lord is by giving ourselves completely to each other.
The result of this will be love and service to others, sharing with them what we have received from God. That’s why a single step towards a true “yes” is worth more in heaven than a thousand half-hearted steps.
Christ’s “yes” showed us this, followed by Mary’s “yes”, then the “yes” of the Apostles, and after them, the “yes” of every Saint. Through these “yeses”, God saves the world.

Applied to Married Life:

Oscar: Every day, when we renew our marriage vows during the offertory at the Eucharist, I feel an immense emotion in that moment when you reaffirm your commitment to me.
Elizabeth: Every day, after so many years?
Oscar: Yes. It’s as though the Lord lets me experience the profound power and priceless worth of the first commandment. I feel it echo in my heart…
Elizabeth: “With all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength…”
Oscar: Exactly. There is no commitment of greater worth than this.
Elizabeth: I see. I ask the Lord to help me see and value it as you do. Thank you, my true partner.

Mother,

The worth of Your “yes”. I am aware of what God accomplished through Your “yes”. We, too, unite our small “yes” with all our heart, all our mind, and all our being. Praise be to the Almighty Lord of Love.