LOVING GOD WITH OUR WHOLE BEING - 8/19/22 (Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes)

Matthew 22:34-37

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 in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081922.cfm

Blessed Memorial of Saint John Eudes! The Jews had more than 600 laws, and as such, the scholar of the law tested our Lord about the greatest of all the commandments. Jesus Christ replied by saying, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." With His response, He is showing us our purpose in life and the reason behind our actions. And, that is to love Him and make Him loved. It's not just about loving Him a little bit, but it's about loving Him with everything we have, with our whole being, with all our hearts, minds, and strength. There are at least three questions we can ask to ourselves for us to love God even more. 

Do we love to pray? Some people think of prayers as merely recitation of long words. For the Jews during the time of Christ, they thought that they were holy precisely because they were saying long and beautiful words. In our culture, prayer can be misinterpreted as merely seeking request from God, or even making a wish. However, this is not the essence of prayer. Prayer is our communication with our Loving God. We cannot say we really love someone if we don't want to have communication with them. It is through prayer that we express our adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to God. Because of our love for Him, we are genuinely sorry for our sins during the times we do not act in accordance to His will. Since we recognize our weaknesses, we beg for His graces knowing that we are in need of His strength for us to love Him more. When we make petitions, we also entrust everything to God because we believe that His will is always what is best for us. Because of our love, we are eager to speak to Him, not just once or twice, but during many moments throughout the day. Our love for prayer is not shown, simply in feelings, but in our faithfulness to prayer life and schedule even if there are times we don't feel to pray. 

Do we desire to be faithful to God's commandments and teachings? There are some people who may not focus on His commandments thinking that we can decide on our own what is right or not. Some think that having free will means we can freely make up our rules. But, this is far from the truth. The reason why we have free will is for us to use our freedom to glorify God which will bring our union with Him and salvation. His commandments and teachings are not arbitrary laws, but they are the means by which we can know what is right from wrong and what is true from the lies. For example, we avoid using the name of God in vain like saying, "Oh My God" and other words, not just because it's written in the 10 commandments, but also because we love His Sacred Name, and we want to mention His name for His greater praise and glory. St. John Eudes dedicated his life in preaching to many people, especially to those who are unfamiliar to the faith. He spent many weeks and months teaching the people about examination of conscience, the Creed, and many more, for us to remain in the state of grace, to love God and to avoid offending Him. His life can be read at the link below this reflection. 

Do we imitate Christ in our own lives? The Gospel is not meant solely for having a knowledge on information and trivia about our Lord. Although these things are good, but what's better is to know Christ by imitating Him. St. John Eudes promoted and introduced the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ. Throughout history, this devotion teaches us the importance of consoling His heart and satisfying the thirst of His heart by being faithful to Him in His commandments and prayers. At the same time, St. John Eudes used the Heart of Christ as a model for priests and for all people. Our Lord Jesus, who first loved us with all His Heart, Strength, Mind and Being, invites us to love Him and our neighbors with His love. His Heart is the model we should imitate in our daily lives. This means that, by the grace of God, we should always be humble and gentle with our neighbors. We should be willing to forgive people of their faults and to bear their faults. By loving God with everything we have, we will have peace in this life and endless happiness in the life to come. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Life of St. John Eudes:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-19---saint-john-eudes-priest/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls