November 4, 2012

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 152

First Reading from the book of Deuteronomy

Dt 6:2-6

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.

>>>Those who keep the Commandments of God are they who love Him:

John 14:23

King James Version (KJV)

²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

>>>And Moses tells them that to choose life.  To follow God's commandments and He will bring them to the Promised Land.  The Promised Land is a veiled reference to God's Heavenly Kingdom.

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."

>>>This is the first and greatest Commandment.  Jews call it the Shema.  Everything flows from our love of God.  St. John says:

1 John 4:20

King James Version (KJV)

²⁰ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Responsorial Psalm Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

>>>Love of God is the reason for our existence.  We were conceived in love and with a purpose to return to God the love that He gives to us.

Second Reading from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews

Heb 7:23-28

Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.

>>>The Levites were all human, therefore their priesthood passed away.  Whereas Jesus is God.  Jesus' priesthood is perpetual.

Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

>>>Therefore those who come to the Father, come through Him and He can save them because that is He is always there to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.

>>>And it is as it should be, that our high Priest should be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect.

He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.

>>>Christ sacrificed once for all people.  He has no need to offer sacrifice daily.

For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

>>>Because Christ's word is forever and not subject to the weakness of normal men.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark

Mk 12:28b-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"

>>>A student of the Law asked Jesus, "what is the greatest Commandment?" 

Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.

>>>Jesus said, "it is the First, Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."

The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."

>>>The second is to love your neighbor.  These are the two greatest commandments.

The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

>>>And the Scribe agreed with Christ.

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

>>>And Christ approved of the young man.  No one else dared to ask any questions.

Sincerely,

De Maria