“And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." // Matthew 12:33
Years ago, our parish priest shared something in his homily that changed my life forever:
“Love inspires more than the law requires.”
At the time, I was a young, tired (happy!) mama who took offense at a great many things. I don’t know why; life was wonderful but also challenging. And I just found myself feeling annoyed with people a lot of the time.
These words that Father shared from the pulpit really got my attention.
If I had the love of God overflowing in my heart, then I could be more patient and more loving and more generous—not simply with my time but with my heart. In that season, where I really didn’t have extra time for much, I recognized that generosity of spirit and demeanor was something I could offer to Jesus.
Love inspires more than that law requires. Love your neighbor as yourself. This is worth more than burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And so for me, from then on, I started to seek kindness and love. Instead of entertaining petty thoughts in the school parking lot (the car pick-up line is not for wimps!), I tried to focus on love. It took some rewiring, to be honest. I was in the habit of agitation.
Choosing love was a new concept.
God gives us direction because He knows what is best for us. While I was following all the rules in my life, God had more in store for me. The Lord wanted to offer a deep joy and freedom that really only comes from love. As explained in today’s Gospel, to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I needed to learn to love my neighbor as well (see Mark 12:28b-34).
It’s not always easy—dealing with people can be messy indeed. But this is where we grow! We grow in heroic charity and virtue. I love that our Heavenly Father offers us the chance to flourish in ways we could never expect, when we are willing to follow His lead and do whatever He asks. Ask the Lord to show you how to love better today.
Rachel Balducci is a writer and speaker and co-host of the Gist on CatholicTV. She has a Masters degree from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia and teaches at Augusta University and is working on her doctorate in Religion at the University of Georgia. She and her husband Paul have five sons and one daughter and are part of an intentional Christian community in Augusta, Georgia. Find out more about her here.
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