SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, RELIGIOUS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This command from God, often called the second greatest commandment, can seem impossible, can’t it? Love every neighbor? How can we find the ability to do something so radical? One way is to understand how we have been loved. Maybe the following story can help.

A family once experienced a damaging house fire.

No one was injured, but their home was destroyed, and they were left with next to nothing. The family was able to recover largely because of all the support they received. One close friend in particular took charge of the situation. He helped them find temporary housing, recruited their other friends to help provide meals, and set about finding clothes and other necessities for them. Needless to say, the family was deeply grateful.

A few years later, this same family heard about another family nearby who had suffered a similar tragedy. None of the neighbors seemed to know what to do. Without hesitating, the couple walked right over. “You are not alone in this,” the wife told them. “We’ve been through this before; let us help you get back on your feet.” They quickly began organizing, and within hours they had many resources in place. They even invited the family to stay with them until they found a more permanent living situation.

This couple was uniquely qualified to help because they had received help in the same way. In short, they loved their neighbors as they themselves had been loved.

How has God loved you? What concrete ways has he used, and what has his love done for you? Sometimes his love flows through other people, as it did for the house fire victims. Other times it comes as you sit quietly in prayer or as you hear God’s word at Mass. No matter how you have experienced it, God’s love is meant to flow in you and through you to affect the people around you. So look around today, and see if there is someone to whom you can say, “You are not alone in this; let me help you.”

“Father, show me how I have been loved so that I can offer that same love to my neighbor.”

Psalm 112:1-2, 4-5, 9
Luke 14:25-33
Romans 13:8-10