OCTOBER 31, 2021, Sunday
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 152
Reading I
Dt 6:2-6
"Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Reading II
Heb 7:23-28
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.
Alleluia
Jn 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
and my father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Mk 12:28b-34
"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."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
REFLECTION:
The word love is one of depth, of relationship, and of great importance in life, but its deeper meaning can be glossed over in superficial expressions. St. John tells us that God is love (I John 4:16), a love that is creative and self-giving, that desires the best for each of us as creatures of God. Thus, we are called to love God, to love each other and to love ourselves as given life by God. We pray for a deeper appreciation of love, for the freedom to accept it more fully and to live it as Jesus did in a self-giving way.
Loving means sharing with the loved one and is shown in action. Words can be hollow unless they are incarnated in life, just as the love of the Father is incarnated in Jesus – God so loved the world (John 3:16). In a hymn we sing of Jesus - ‘love is his word, love is his way.’ His love did cost. Love is often a decision in that we want to respond like Jesus, though we may not feel like it. Lord, we ask you to give us loving hearts that reach out to others in your name, bringing them closer to you.
PRAYER:
Lord, why should I love you with all my heart? Because if a group of good people set up a beautiful house and gardens for me to live in, I would love them. If they worked against all that might hurt me, I would love them. If one of them were to die a horrible death to save me from disaster, I would love them. If they Lord, promised me eternal joy, I would love them.
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