Friday of the Third Week of Lent

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In today's Gospel, Jesus gives us two commandments; "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus presents these two commandments to us, and not only are they the first commandments gifted to us, but Jesus also tells us that they are the greatest of the commandments. These two great commandments are the simple core of our Catholic faith and are interconnected. You cannot find a perfect love of God where there isn't a love for one's neighbor, and you cannot pursue a love for your neighbor without having a perfect love of God. God is inherently present in the soul of every person. Therefore, if we find ourselves turning from those around us, we turn away from God within them. When we love God, when we seek God with a pure heart, we will subsequently love our neighbors who are in God.

So, how do we come to love God perfectly and totally? It is through charity that we can obtain a total love for God in this life. Charity, a gift given to us by the Lord through the Holy Spirit, is our acting purely for the love of God and not for personal gain. When hearing the word 'charity,' what comes to mind may be doing apostolate works, such as volunteering in schools and nursing homes or working in a soup kitchen. And while these are acts of charity, it is important to understand that charity is broader, something that we can accomplish ordinarily and quietly. Any simple act done with the simple will to please God is an act of charity because, in these acts, we do not seek personal pleasure in its end. To listen to your neighbor for the sake of loving God that is found within them and not to feel good about yourself is an act of charity. To use your free time to be present with Christ in prayer out of a sincere desire to express your love for God and not to feel good about your praying is charity.

When we desire to live a life of love, we need to pray to God for a more perfect charity. For to live in charity is to live for the love of God, and through that selfless love of God, we can love our neighbors who are in God, whom we love. The binding principle of the two great commandments that Jesus gives to us today is charity.

Lord Jesus Christ,

I pray that through your most Holy Spirit, you may grant to me perfect charity so that through charity, I may grow in a more perfect love for my brothers and sisters, a love that is pleasing to you.

Amen.

Sarah Durocher, SFC '24

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