Loving God and Neighbour

This Sunday’s readings are rather fitting for a Weekend highlighting the work of the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Jesus tells the scribe that the most important commandment is to love God with all our soul, mind and strength. He then goes further as if to say to the scribe as if to correct a poorly worded question. He adds the second commandment: love your neighbour as yourself.

From the times that I have joined the St. Vincent De Paul societies for prayer, as well as in studying the lives of saints noted for their charity, I have observed the fidelity to this double command. Any and all saints noted for their mysticisms were often aflame with a burning desire to love God in a way that didn’t remained locked inside their minds. If they loved God with “all their mind” they wanted to love him with “all their strength” too. This often looked like a deep love for the less fortunate. It was also a desire to bring the love of God to those too weighed down by poverty and misfortune.

Similarly, the SVDP conferences which I have visited, have shown that at the heart of their activity, lies a pattern of prayer so that the reaching out to neighbour is an act of spirituality, rather than mere volunteering.

At a time when our literal “neighbours” are feeling the tensions of the cost of living and housing, such a spirituality deserves not only highlighting but wider practice. To that end, I hope this weekend not only inspires you to share of your money, but also of your presence by joining the community who help either with visitations or manning the Vinnies OpShop, among other ways. The fact that Jesus highlights these two as the most important, over our sometimes culturally exaggerated taboos, ought to centre us around the yardstick by which our lives will be judged on the last day – our love of God and neighbour.

Have a great week, God Bless, Fr Francis