In this month of November, we Catholics remember in a special way all those who have died. We pray for and to our loved ones who have passed away, secure in the hope that they are, in the words from today’s Gospel, “not far from the kingdom of God.” Jesus teaches us today that loving God with all our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves will put us on the road to eternal life. Let us take that to heart as we thank and praise God for the promise of heaven.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Having just given the people the ten commandments, Moses extols them as a blessing, a way to grow and prosper and eventually reach the promised land. There they can declare their love for the Lord, as we do in the responsorial psalm. After hearing Hebrews praise Jesus as a high priest who has been made perfect forever, we hear him reveal the greatest commandment, which directs our love on two paths, toward God and toward neighbor. Listening to God’s word, let us note the wonderful consequences of taking God’s commands to heart.
Reflections
The words of Deuteronomy that we hear in the first reading are found in the Shema, the prayer recited by devout Jews every morning and evening, a prayer that expresses the foundation of the Jewish faith. It has been their daily prayer for hundreds of generations, including the generation that lived in Jesus’ time, so all of the scribes would have certainly known the prayer by heart. Every day it reminds them of God’s prominence in their lives. Every day it reminds them that their God is the God of all, for there is but one God. Every day it reminds them that they are to respond to God with love, with all their being. May it remind us of the same.
In every way possible: that is how Moses and Jesus ask us to love God. This is what is behind their command to love God, “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). We should love God with all of our available resources, with our whole person. Once we realize that every person was made in the image of God, it necessarily follows that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, for each of us is made in God’s image.
During the month of November, we remember all who have gone before us in death, praying that they may be one with God in the kingdom of heaven. It is also a time of harvest, when farmers and gardeners in much of the country pick the last of their crops before winter comes. In another sense, we can think of our loved ones as being part of God’s harvest, brought home to eternal life by God’s mercy. May we too reap the rewards promised to us by our Savior.
Question of the Week How do I show my love for God and my love for neighbor? When have I felt myself giving that love with all my being? -from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, November 3, 2024
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, November 3, 2024
Offerings
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