When we look at what is happening in the world today, we must ask the question: what are we really looking for in life? Is that money? Is that power? Is that fame?… Seeing people suffer from wars, injustices, calamities…, we can have the answer for that question. We are looking for peace and happiness that can be achieved through love.

I am quite sure that each and every one of us has experienced love. It might be the love between a boy and a girl, or the love among family members, or the love among brothers and sisters in the community.

Besides, we also have another kinds of love like the love for power, the love for possessions, the love for fame…
However, no matter what kind of love we have, we are commanded by Jesus to love God above all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two commandments can be seen as one, the commandment of love in two forms: love for God and love for neighbor. These two forms compliment each other. The love for God is expressed in the love for neighbor and the love for neighbor strengthens the love for God to see the presence and love of God in our life.

The first question we can ask ourselves is: why do we need to love God and love our neighbor? We have answered one half above: we want peace and happiness in this life. Another half is, as believer, we also want to be happy in heaven with God in the life after. To achieve such the goals, there is no other way except loving God-our Creator and Redeemer, and loving our neighbor-our brothers and sisters of the same Father. Besides, we are relational beings. Once we still breath, once we still eat, once we still live, we are in relations with one another.

The second question is: which one is easier: loving God or loving our neighbor? Perhaps we can say loving God is easier because we do not see God and He does not disturb us in our daily life. Loving others is more difficult because we live with them and through daily encounter with them, besides many good experiences, we also have many negative feelings. And to love them becomes more difficult. However, we cannot say we love God while not loving our neighbor. Jesus said clearly in the Gospel for today that these are the two greatest comandments of all. St. John also said in his first letter: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen”. (1Jn 4:20) These two must go hand in hand with each other.

At this point, we ask ourselves another question: how can we live out these two commandments? It is sure that when we love someone, we try to do the best for that person, we try to do what the person wants so that he/she will be happy. It is the same for our love for God and for our neighbor. It depends on our life situation that we can have proper ways of living out this commandment of love. If each person allows the love of God permeat his/her relationships with others and if each person is aware that the love for one’s neighbor reflects the love for God, God’s Kingdom is present among people. It might be an act of kindness, an act of mercy, an advice, a consolation, a word of encouragement, a smile we give to one another with the awareness that we are doing for God. These acts help people realize the presence and love of God for them, and in return, they continue to do the same to others. As the result, the love for God and the love for neighbor are multiplied.

In a particular way, for the Piarists, these two greatest commandments are seen in the charism of the Order, in the motto: piety and letters. Is that not for the children to have a happy life the fear of the Lord? Is that not the way for them to be happy now on earth and then to have eternal life with God in heaven? And in order to carry out this mission properly and faithfully, each Piarist, from the early stage of formation, should strive to live out the commandment of love: loving God and loving one another in the community.

As children of Calasanz, let us reflect on the commandment of love for God and love for neighbor in our life through the questions:

1. Do I realize the love of God in my life?
2. In my concrete situation, how can I respond to that love in my relationships with God and with those I encounter every day?

May God bless, enlighten and strengthen us so that we can carry out these greatest commandments properly and faithfully in our life so that we can have peace and happiness not only now on earth but also later in heaven. Amen.

October 29, 2023 | XXX Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 22:34-40: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, «Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?»

Jesus answered, «You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments.»

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