One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mk 12:28b-34)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110324.cfm
Having grown up with the politics of hate and division in segregated Alabama of the 1950’s and ’60’s, I was freed from the racism of my classmates by the faith and example of my mother and grandmother. My family taught me the stories of Jesus and how to live the greatest commandment that Jesus gave us: to love God and love neighbor. As we prepare for elections in the United States this Tuesday, we pray for the wisdom from above so that we may choose wisely those who will serve us in positions of trust and will help us to build a more perfect union.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Sunday, Week XXXI, Ordinary Time
