The Gospel this Sunday teaches us about the greatest commandment: love. When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment is the greatest, Jesus replied with the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” He then added from Leviticus 19:18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This teaching is the core of the Gospel because God is love. As St. John says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). St. Albert the Great echoed this by saying that where charity is not found, God cannot dwell.

Jesus emphasized that loving God is the first and most important commandment, and love of neighbor follows. This can be visualized by the cross, with its vertical beam representing our love for God and its horizontal beam symbolizing our love for others. Both dimensions are essential for a complete Christian life. However, our love for others must be rooted in our love for God. Without God, no matter how noble, our efforts will ultimately fall short. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

This Sunday, I remind you that we cannot rely solely on human strength. God is our refuge and stronghold. As Peter said to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67). Let this be our response as well, allowing our love for God to inspire and fuel our love for our neighbors.