31 October 2021
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Twice in today’s readings, we hear the great Shema, the command to Israel to love God completely, which appears first in Deuteronomy and then again in the Gospel when it is quoted by Jesus himself. In the Shema, Moses tells the Israelites, “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.”
It is worth reflecting on the totality of this commandment, on the “all” that is demanded of Israel and of us Christians as the heirs of Israel. According to this command, there can be no part of our being which is not completely dedicated to God; otherwise, we fall short of the “all” which is demanded of us. If I am honest in my own self-examination, I know that I fall short of this “all” regularly; in my selfishness and tendency to sin, I hold back some corner of my self from God. From this perspective, the “all” of the commandment appears impossible.
Christ, however, has shown us the way. On the cross, he gave himself over completely to the Father for our sake. No greater “all” can be imagined than that of Christ upon the cross; in Christ, the complete dedication of one’s self to God is indeed possible. Today, then, let us meditate on the “all” that God asks of us, and when we fall short, let us look to Christ and ask to be united with Him.