30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

GOSPEL

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd
and Doubleday & Company Inc.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’

Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the prophets also.’

(Matthew 22:34–40)

DID YOU KNOW?

Points of interest and Catholic lore

• The commandment that Jesus quotes first is part of a famous Jewish declaration of faith known as the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord, our God, is one …’  This text is written out and placed inside small boxes called mezuzah, which are placed on the door posts of Jewish homes. Each time a person passes through the door, they touch the mezuzah, thus making this declaration of faith several times a day.
• The second commandment quoted comes from Leviticus 19:18. Both statements are part of the Jewish Law.
• The term ‘the Law and the prophets’ implies the whole teaching of Judaism. The books of the Law, known as the Torah, are the first five books of the Bible, often called the Pentateuch.

EXPLORING THE WORD

This is the final public encounter between Jesus and his enemies in Matthew’s Gospel. They are seeking to expose his lack of professional knowledge of the Scriptures or to trap him into giving more weight to one of the Ten Commandments, which are viewed as equally important. Jesus cuts the ground from under them. No one could argue with his answer!

But if the dual command of love was present in the Jewish Law, what new thing did Jesus bring? His originality places love of God and love of neighbour together. It is not possible to love God and despise people. God and the human situation are intimately interwoven. This is shown most perfectly in the person of Jesus himself: Son of Man and Son of God; fully human and fully divine. Followers of Jesus must also embody the dual commandment of love.

• Do you find it easier to love God or love other people?
• Are there ways you can make your response to the great commandment more balanced?

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer

• Do you struggle with achieving a balance between the two commandments? Is it easier to love God and ignore those around you, or are you drawn to people but find it difficult to be truly attentive to God?
• The term ‘love’ can be overused and undervalued in today’s world. Discuss some of the abuses of the word ‘love’ that are common. 
• At the end of each day this week, spend a few moments reflecting on how you experienced God’s love today and how you extended God’s love to others.
• In his first letter to the Corinthians (13:4–6), St Paul describes what love is like in a beautiful passage in his first letter to the Corinthians. Pray over these verses this week and contemplate their meaning:
  Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous.
  Love is never boastful or conceited;
  it is never rude or selfish;
  it does not take offence and is not resentful.
  Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins, but delights in the truth.
  It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope,
  to endure whatever comes.

SHARING THE TRADITION 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

• We may sometimes feel that the call to love others as ourselves is egotistical. Yet the greatest spiritual writers of the Church have always insisted that knowing and accepting ourselves is a first step to knowing and loving God. Christians believe that although we are wounded by sin, we are created in the image and likeness of God and have been redeemed by Christ, so we are fundamentally good and worthwhile. Unless we appreciate this truth about ourselves, it is difficult to see and love the good in others and to relate lovingly to God.
• Take some time to reflect on the qualities you see in yourself that are good and worthwhile. Perhaps you could write these down and use them during the prayer.
• Discuss some ways that the Church publicly responds to this call to love God and love our neighbour.
• The call to love our neighbor has a global dimension in our modern age. Explore the work of Caritas Australia to see how the Church carries out this call globally. Their website offers many resources you could use.

LIVING THE WORD 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

• The words ‘with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ express the totality of the response to God that Jesus calls for. This is balanced by the command to love our neighbour, whomever that may be, as ourselves. Both of these are needed in our faith. Loving God while ignoring our brothers and sisters, especially those in need, is a hollow faith. 
• Reflect on the qualities you see in others in the group who journey with you. Perhaps you could tell each person one quality that you discern in them.
• What are the qualities of the parish or community to which you belong? In what ways do these qualities bring life and contribute to the strength of the community?
• What are the ways in which your own qualities can contribute to the community?
• Using the papers on which participants have written the qualities of the people in the group, offer a prayer of thanks for those gifts and qualities and pray that they will flourish and grow. A suitable song could be ‘They’ll know we are Christians’ (AOV 130). Conclude with the blessing in the RCIA at §97C.