God, neighbor and myself

“One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ 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. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.’” (MK 12: 28-31)

A very important trinity: God, neighbor, and myself; going together in the right order makes our lives simple. When separated or in other order, it makes our lives complicated. God is first—He created us, redeemed us, and sanctified us; without Him, our lives lose both purpose and meaning. A neighbor is second—the only way we can grow is in living as a gift of self; our neighbors will show us how realistic it is in our lives. Myself is the last one, but also important; if we do not love ourselves, if we do not accept ourselves, respect ourselves and are not lovable, how we can accept others, love others and respect others?

“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)