Gospel: November 3, 2024
November 3, 2024 (Sunday)
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 18: 2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 (2)
I love you, Lord, my strength.
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 6: 2-6
2nd Reading: Hebrews 7: 23-28
Gospel: Mark 12: 28b-34
A teacher of the law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them. So he came up and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.”
The teacher of the law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one, and there is no other besides him. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”
Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Lectio Divina:
Read: A teacher of the law was listening while Jesus was discussing with the Sadducees on the issue of the resurrection. He asked Jesus which commandment was the first of all. Jesus told him that the first is to love God with one’s whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and whole strength. Jesus also told him that the second is to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. The teacher of the law commended Jesus, reaffirming Jesus’ answer. He told Jesus that to fulfill these two commandments is more important than any burnt offering. Jesus commended the teacher of the law in return, telling him that he is not far from God’s kingdom.
Reflect: In the preceding passage (cf. Mk 12:18-27), Jesus discussed the reality of the resurrection with the Sadducees. Today’s Gospel tells of the first two greatest commandments—the love of God and the love of neighbor. The teacher of the law remarked that the love of God and of neighbor is more important than any religious sacrifice. Jesus told the teacher of the law that he is no longer far from God’s kingdom. Thus, our nearness to God’s kingdom is determined not by our ritualistic religious expressions but by our exercise of the first two inseparable commandments: the love of God and neighbor.
Pray: Let us pray for the grace that the love of God we profess may truly be mirrored in the way we treat our neighbors.
Act: Take part or volunteer your time in community or charity events. Take part or volunteer your time in community or charity events.
