Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 12:28b-34
If you know nothing about Christianity, you are still likely to know the “Golden Rule” that is proclaimed by Jesus in the Gospel today. From early childhood, you learn that you are to, “treat others as you would want to be treated,” the interpretation of, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” that a kid can understand. Versions of this teaching appear in many distinct faith traditions. An art piece by Mary Southard, CSJ hangs in my office, depicting this rule of life and demonstrating how God speaks this key message through many traditions.
Although it seems simple, this may be one of the most difficult teachings to live out. There are really three parts, the first of which is to love the one true God above all else and with your whole being – not just in words, but also in how you think, love and act. Today, we make idols of politicians, musicians, actors, and influencers. We follow what they say and do, not always thinking of the impact on the global community. We also have a tendency to focus on God with one aspect of our life. Maybe we speak about God, but aren’t generous. Maybe we read about God, but don’t spend time in prayer. How might we develop a whole heart, soul, mind, and strength relationship with God?
The second part is about our love of neighbor. What does love of neighbor really look like. I often don’t even know the names of my neighbors and I doubt that I am alone in that. Does loving neighbor just mean loving those that I choose to associate with? I think God is challenging us to go far beyond this. Studies show that we are more and more isolated in our thinking, even as our ability to have information at our fingertips grows.
Algorithms choose people like us on social media and in Google searches. We move into neighborhoods with people who have similar ideologies. Our education levels place us in professions with peers. How might we love the people who disagree with us politically, speak another language, have very different worldviews, or seem ignorant to the truth?
The third part of this teaching is about loving self. Working with young adults, diagnoses of anxiety have grown tremendously over the years. Self-doubt, imposter syndrome, lack of self-esteem and other ways of not loving self can make it difficult to love others. How can you love others and yourself, if you don’t actually value and love yourself? This is also connected to the love of God. How does your relationship with God translate to God’s love of you, just as you are, made in God’s image?
Today, we celebrate the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Feast of our Dominican brother, St. Martin de Porres. St. Martin suffered from prejudice in society and within his own Dominican community, yet, he steadfastly cared for other beings – humans and animals – demonstrating their dignity and his own in the process, “Always consider others as more holy and more worthy than you, at the same time strive to be as holy as you can be.” St. Martin is the patron saint of race relations, social justice and public health workers, titles that come as a result of showing his love of God and loving neighbor as himself.
Sr. Jenn Schaaf, OP