SAINT SIXTUS II, POPE, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

You shall love the Lord. 

Imagine that you are nearing the end of your life and want to pass on to your loved ones all the wisdom you’ve accumulated. That’s what Moses is doing in today’s first reading (Deuteronomy 6:4-13). He recounts God’s work in the exodus and offers many guidelines for the Israelites. But perhaps his most important instructions are in the very beginning of the passage.

The first and most important one might sound familiar: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus himself told us this is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). Loving God above everything else is the rock of our faith, the foundation on which all of our choices, our words, and our actions are built.

Next, Moses recounts one way we can live out the command to love God. He says we should be unguarded about our faith and share it with the people around us. We should tell our children about God and speak about him “at home and abroad” (Deuteronomy 6:7). He even suggests we write God’s words on the doorposts of our homes! Of course, that might not be a practical home-decorating tip. But as we raise our children in the faith and speak openly about the difference Christ has made in our lives, we are living out our love for God and showing the world what Christian love looks like.

Moses knew that loving God and sharing that love with other people would help the Israelites remain faithful to him and not “forget” him (Deuteronomy 6:12). For us too, the more we share our love of God and put it into action, the more our love for God grows. And as our love for God grows, we will find ourselves sharing that love with more and more people. And so the cycle of grace keeps growing, bringing us all closer to the Lord.

God is asking for our “all.” So let’s not shy away from the call to proclaim his good news.

“Lord, teach me to love you more!”

Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51
Matthew 17:14-20
Deuteronomy 6:4-13

WORD AMONG US