Jesus teaches that the greatest commandments are about love of God and one another.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 20th Week of the Year (#423)
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Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us!
Tag Archives: Commandment
Daily Mass: The great commandments of love. Catholic Inspiration
Daily Mass: We are commanded to love. Catholic Inspiration
The commandments to love God and love one another guide us on the journey of faith, directing our lives as we follow Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 9th Week of the Year (#356)
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St. Norbert, pray for us!
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Daily Mass: Our love for God is revealed in our love for one another. Catholic Inspiration
The First Letter of John powerfully (and bluntly!) states that our love for Jesus is revealed when we fulfill his commandment to love one another.
Mass Readings – 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas
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St. Thomas Becket, pray for us!
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Daily Mass: We follow the commandments of Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus teaches that he has come to fulfill the law and the prophets, inviting us to carry out his commandments as his disciples.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 10th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Jesus changes us from the inside out. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord announces that he fulfills the Law and the Prophets, emphasizing that his commandments are essential for the Kingdom of Heaven. May we heed his teaching and allow his grace to transform us…from the inside out!
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
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6th Sunday of Easter: Love, the Great Commandment
Study: When in my life have I been most authentically and genuinely loving toward others? What helped me to live this way?
Pray: Who is difficult to love in my life right now? Pray that the love of Christ comes into our hearts to transform us into God’s love.
Serve: Who am I called to love today? How can I act toward another that brings Christ’s love into their lives?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of Easter
The second reading from 1 John 4:7-10 and the Gospel from John 15:9-17 are as blunt and direct as the Bible delivers. In the first and last analysis, everything we proclaim as Christians is measured and evaluated in the light of a single concept:
LOVE
And on first glance it sounds wonderful! Love evokes many wholesome and beautiful concepts that speak to our hearts; love lifts our spirits and draws us closer together – drawing strength and peace from both God and the people around us.
Yet love is also challenging. Love makes demands upon us to stretch beyond our normal comfort zones – thinking and acting in ways that are modeled on Jesus Christ. Consider…
- Forgiving our enemies
- Seeking the good in others
- Being the first to work at healing & reconciliation
- Dedicated to others in times of difficulty and stress
- Remaining positive and supportive
- Standing up for those who are oppressed
- Serving those who are hard to love…and seeing Christ in them
While we strive for these practical applications of love on our good days, Lord knows we need to keep working at love – especially when we are in a bad place. Two keys thoughts can help us:
- Stay close to Jesus – the source of all LOVE
- When in doubt – act in a loving manner
The first point is simple: we cannot fulfill God’s command to love unless we are closely connected to the Son of God. We hear that “God is love” in the 2nd reading, and we know that our lives draw grace and strength when we unite our hearts to the Lord. Staying close to Jesus helps us to evaluate and fulfill this key commandment.
The second point is immensely practical. Sometimes we don’t feel particularly loving! When that happens we can move ourselves to a better place by acting in a Godly fashion…the feelings will follow eventually. While our emotions are crucial sources of “inside information” to the state of our hearts, we guide our lives by Jesus (and not a momentary feeling) who loves us unconditionally. Thus, when we act in a loving way – love actually grows in our hearts!
“This I command you: love one another.”
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, Heinrich Hofmann; 1 June 1889, 480 x 599 pixels, Riverside Church, New York, NY.
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6th Sunday of Easter: Growing stronger in God’s love. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of Easter
With proper diet and exercise our bodies grow stronger. Over time what seemed difficult becomes easy through discipline and hard work. The same is true for our spiritual lives: we grow stronger as we draw near to Christ and grow in his love…thus allowing us to love in difficult and challenging times as we carry out the Lord’s command to love as he loves us.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Daily Mass: The commandment to love. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of Easter
Jesus teaches us by his example how to love, and then he commands us to do it – even when it’s hard, inconvenient and uncomfortable. May we call upon his grace for the strength we need to love one another as he loves us!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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6th Sunday of Easter: The Command to Love
Study: Recall the people in life have loved us unconditionally. How did their love help you change and grow?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to recognize the people in our midst we are called to love.
Serve: Love takes many forms. What can I do today for another person out of love?
For the last few months the eyes of the world have directed to the words and actions of Pope Francis. It has been a time of extensive media coverage on the Church and its message of hope to a new generation.
During this time many people have experienced the rich treasure of Roman Catholicism. The history, symbolism, and global significance have helped provide a deeper understanding of the internal structure of the Church.
Many people have responded to the Pope’s teaching and example. It is an exciting time to participate in the Church, and I personally am renewed and energized in my desire to grow in my vocation to the priesthood – even in the midst of transition and change.
Change is a part of life. Through our experiences and encounters we develop and discover new perspectives and resources within our lives. Change happens when we open our hearts to those around us and put into action our new insights.
In the Gospel Jesus states that to love him means to keep his commandments. There are two:
1. Love God
2. Love one another.
It is important to note that these commands are not just about being busy. To love means to be in relationship with others; love invites us to grow in our awareness and understanding for one another. This knowledge leads to greater respect and value for all life.
In the Gospel love is a verb. It must be acted upon, practiced, and carried out in all parts of life. To love means to work at a relationship – and thus be open to spend the time and effort necessary.
Yet when we open our hearts to love we are changed. As we experience love, as we work at it, we discover that our hearts get stretched. We become challenged to grow, to make room so that we can love more deeply, more completely.
Jesus promises that we will have help. As we open our lives to the power of love, the Spirit will come to help us and guide us. Transformed by love, we trust that God will continue to direct us, until the cycle of love and change brings us one day to the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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This post was first published on May 20, 2014.
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Daily Mass: Jesus fulfills the Law. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
Jesus comes to fulfill the Law, teaching as the new Moses and inviting us to draw close to God in a new and powerful way.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Let the Lord enter!
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