The gospel for Friday of the 20th week in ordinary time is taken from Matthew. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, teacher, which commandment of the law is the greatest? He said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is, like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

The Pharisees were always trying to trip Jesus up, but he never, ever fell into their trap. And once again, they’re trying. They bring a scholar of the law, hoping that he will say something they can use against him. And so they say, all right, what’s the most important commandment? Remember, there are many rules and regulations. And Jesus just looked at him and said, it’s love.

It’s all about love. It’s all about your heart. It’s about your relationships. Relationship with you, with ourselves and with our brothers and sisters that we love more than anything else. It’s the heart of it all. But we keep making it more complicated than it is.

Please take a few moments to reflect upon the thoughts that I’ve offered in these reflections, and then I will offer a closing prayer. Closing prayer. Father, your message is life and light and all that we need. Keep us in touch with the core of your message. It resonates in our hearts so beautifully, and yet our mind sometimes still gets confused. So open our hearts to receive this beautiful message of love, and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.