Gospel according to Saint Matthew 22,34-40:

When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, «Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?». Jesus answered, «‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments».

If I do not have love…

Luis CASASUS President of the Idente Missionaries

Rome, October 29, 2023 | XXX Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ex 22: 20-26; 1Thess 1: 5c-10; Mt 22: 34-40

1. Three loves. We all remember the figure of Prometheus, the mythological titan who fought to protect human beings. On one occasion, he stole fire from the gods to give it to men, so that they could warm themselves and offer their sacrifices. For this betrayal, Zeus, the highest deity, punished him severely. He had him chained in the Caucasus and sent an eagle to devour his liver; as Prometheus was immortal, his liver grew back and the torment became eternal.

This episode of the ancient Greek mythology has a permanent actuality. Some take it as a symbol of today’s transhumanist dream, the attempt to replace God the creator with our technological ingenuity. At times, the figure of Prometheus has been used to represent a manifestation of our pride, a real disorder, which sometimes pushes us to want to know absolutely everything, including useless things, just to feel superior to others.

In any case, for us it can be a starting point when reflecting on what Christ tells us today in the Gospel, which is an invitation (or commandment) to love God and at the same time to love our neighbor, including how to love myself, because it is something that Jesus picks up as authentic at the end of today’s text, far beyond self-esteem. It is a delicate matter, to live these “three loves”, God, neighbor and myself, something that we cannot solve without God’s help.

It is true, without what Jesus tells us, love of self is a paradox or pure talk. Even for the ancient Eastern wisdom this was not clear. This recalls the apocryphal conversation between Confucius and Lao-Tse, in which Confucius had been discoursing on universal love without the element of self.

Tell me, said Lao Tsé, in what do charity and duty towards our neighbor consist?

They consist, replied Confucius, in the capacity to rejoice in all things; in universal love, without the element of self.

What a muddle! exclaimed Lao Tsé, does not universal love contradict itself? Is not your elimination of self a positive manifestation of self? Heavens, you have brought great confusion into the mind of man.

What is usually said to explain love of self, appropriate to the Gospel, is that we are children of God and created in his image and likeness, which is why carelessness with one’s own life, such as substance dependencies, neglect of health or suicide are so regrettable. But we can and should go further. Other religions also say that we are descended from God or gods. We, from personal experience and according to what Christ teaches us, feel that we are children of the Father, brothers of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit. This is not something that should leave me with my mouth open and paralyzed, but rather it invites me to esteem and to discover the form that love for myself must have.

* As a child of a heavenly Father, I must remember that I am unique; it does not matter if I am better or worse than others, but I am unique in the sense of having a mission that is different from all others, incomparable, for which I must respond. Some of us can make plans for our lives, others, because of illness, lack of means or the aggressions of the world, are very limited, but it is always God’s will that gives meaning to my existence.

Let us note that these plans are mysterious, unpredictable and indestructible. Even today, in the Gospel account, we see how, precisely on the occasion of an attack by his enemies, Jesus takes advantage of the occasion to teach a lesson that will last forever, for all ages. Likewise, the Second Reading shows us how, despite Paul’s pessimistic impression, the Gentile converts of Thessalonica became a model for all the communities.

* As a brother of Christ, I must recognize the value of His gesture in coming into this world to serve as a model, to bear witness that – paradoxically – He needs me, in spite of my limitations. The greatest impetus for self-love is to be aware of that trust placed in me. It lifts the spirits of the most downcast and pessimistic person. I am not the one to judge whether I deserve it or not, although I suspect that it is rather the latter….

* As a temple of the Holy Spirit, first of all, I must not believe that this beautiful metaphor is empty of content. The Holy Spirit “lord and giver of life” is permanently active, transforming my soul, manifesting His lordship over everything negative in me and giving life to the treasures that slumber in my soul, which I dare not even look at, but He inclines me towards them. I am afraid to put them before my eyes, because I feel comfortable in my little world.

If I really love myself for these three reasons, I will love others, because I do not believe that we can be so different before God. And, furthermore, I will see to it that they enjoy that Trinitarian love. That is the apostle’s endeavor.

Moreover, if I do not forget that presence of the Holy Trinity in people, I will come to understand that each one of them, whether they are so-called saints, crooks, sick, intelligent or ignorant, is for me a sign, a message, a petition, a true divine plea for me to do something for them. I will see my neighbor as a pilgrim, far from the home to which we return through the desert. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God delivered you from there (Deut 24: 18).

That is the spirit of the First Reading, whose call to hospitality goes beyond strangers, those who are different, migrants, those belonging to certain social groups, who obviously need special assistance. It is about loving people who give the impression that they will never change, that they will never understand us, that they will never help us, that they are betraying us… The Jewish people had suffered years of exile and knew from hard experience what it means to be forsaken, and so he established exacting standards to help the dispossessed. When you gather the grapes from your vineyard, do not go looking again for the grapes that remain; they will be for the immigrant, the orphan or the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore, I command you to do this (Deut 24: 21-22).

Likewise, our love for our neighbor originates in a loving experience, being continually forgiven by God.

—ooOoo—

2. This merciful character is the most relevant of divine love. And these are the words of the Lord in the First Reading: For I am merciful.

It is true that, without God, loving EVERYONE is practically impossible. We love “our people” because we feel their pain deeply, and it is ours too. As Christ says, the Gentiles, the publicans and even the Pharisees love their own. So do the mice.

Even, quite often, we are not capable of loving those closest to us. I remember when I was 10 years old and my brother was 7, a classmate of the same age hit him and made him come home crying. When our mother asked me why I had not defended him, I answered: The other boy was right. My mother never forgot the incident (I hope my brother did).

But mercy (not reason) is the true core of love. We well know that all forms of mercy and forgiveness, besides doing good to the neighbor, do good to the one who practices them, both in his soul and in his spirit.

Two criminals, who had spent thirty years in prison and were now free, met every day to talk about their past. One of them asked his friend: Have you forgiven those who accused you and put you behind bars? The companion answered: Yes, I forgave them long ago. But the first said: No, I have not; I still hate them. Then the second said to him: So you are still imprisoned.

Living true love does not have a superficial reward, it does not even provide a sweet feeling or peace of mind. On the contrary, it makes us vulnerable, more sensitive to separation and demands more and more of us. This is one of the messages that Christ transmits to us from his Cross. As a Proverb of our Father and Founder says: Love is a pain without bitterness.

Christ forcefully affirmed the merciful character of his love when he said: The healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do. I have not come to invite the good to follow me, but sinners (Mk 2: 17). It does not seem to be a discrimination, but rather a way of explaining that when you and I are satisfied with our behavior and our way of treating others… then it is difficult for us to be open to Jesus Christ’s way of loving.

He also instructs us on other features of this love, which we are called to give to God and neighbor: it is not really a set of actions, but “a state of love,” just as authentic prayer is. One must love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s mind and with all one’s strength, and one’s neighbor as oneself. This means that the most “insignificant” lack of charity means that I do not live in that state, that is, that I do not love God. The same is true for omissions, negligence, missed opportunities….

One conclusion is that love must be – among other things – intelligent, that is, not exempt from reflection, subject to good administration, as our Father and Founder said to the young, because sometimes we love with good will, but clumsily. Sometimes we also love without knowing it, even loving what we think we do not yet love.

Finally, at other times we despise the small signs of love, which is totally contrary to the Gospel. Let us remember how Jesus performs numerous miracles and healings, born of his compassion, not included in his program of the day, which he considers “minor” and asks in vain to keep secret: healing a leper (Mk 1: 42-44), bringing a girl back to life (Mk 5: 43), restoring sight to a blind man (Mk 8: 25-26) … he knew that the propaganda of these prodigies went against his plans to do a much greater and universal good, the announcement of the kingdom of heaven.

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In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Luis CASASUS

President