March 13, 26 – Friday of the Third Week of Lent: Two Love are not Separate

Daily Divine Word:

March 13, 26 – Friday of the Third Week of Lent: Two Love are not Separate

Hosea 14:2-10; Mark 12:28-34

Renouncing false dependencies: The first reading is from the final verses of book of Hosea. Hosea urges people to turn away from their misplaced trust. The people had begun relying on Assyria for military protection and on their own wisdom for guidance in daily life. Yet Assyria’s military strength and human understanding are temporary and unreliable. In contrast, Yahweh is eternal. Only God provides a truly dependable source of protection, wisdom, and provision.

Reconciliation is not just intellectual act: Reconciliation is far more than intellectual assent to a virtue or behaviour. It is a commitment to a whole lifestyle. It is a consent awareness of daily decisions and attitudes. Reconciliation is more than an act of saying sorry, confession or restoring relationships instantly, it is an ongoing process of refining relationships and concentrating on the wellbeing of each other.

Two love are not Separate: LOVE GOD LOVE NEIGHBOR - Today’s Gospel is compelling; Jesus quotes the ‘Shema’ prayer - combines Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18 teaching and proposes a realistic and deeper understanding of spirituality. Is loving God and loving neighbour are different? The fundamental commandment of all is to love God, not worship God or offer sacrifices to God (these are expression of love for God). God is love and we made for love. Love of God is the foundation of love for our neighbor, and loving our neighbor is an expression of loving God. These are not two separate commandments but one inseparable command. They work together like breathing in and breathing out. You cannot have one without the other. This truth is affirmed in 1 John 4: 20 “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.”

Love is a commitment not just an emotion: Jesus does not talk about love at levels of feeling or emotion or affection. It can certainly have these qualities. Jesus is talking love as a commitment, a commitment to God and to other human beings. Love is a commitment that connects God and humans. It is a daily conscious commitment in the best interest of the other person. It’s a conscious irrevocable choice not a fleeting lightening.

Our Takeaway

1. Lent invites us to renounce our false dependencies.
2. Reconciliation is not just intellectual act. Reconciliation is more than an act of saying sorry, confession or restoring relationships instantly, it is an ongoing process of refining relationships.
3. Love of God is the foundation of love for our neighbor, and loving our neighbor is an expression of loving God. They work together like breathing in and breathing out.
4. Love is a commitment not just an emotion. It is a daily conscious commitment in the best interest of the other person. It’s a conscious irrevocable choice not a fleeting lightening.

Wilson SVD