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Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What does it look like for a person to fulfill the Law as the Lord describes in today’s Gospel?
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Perhaps one of the greatest examples is that of Saint Paul, the greatest missionary of his age.
Paul not only sailed the open seas preaching the Gospel in foreign lands; he also travelled more than 10,000 miles on foot, often enough in danger of losing his life! Over the course of his journey, he was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and left for dead.
But his stubbornness converted souls.
In his final pastoral letter, Paul wrote to his “spiritual son,” Timothy, saying, “As for me, the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.”
Faith which came at a very high cost.
Here Paul uses athletic language, leaving the impression that he’s exhausted himself after years of toil.
This particular word, “departure,” literally means, “to remove the yoke from an ox,” giving the impression that Paul feels the weight of his ministry is being lifted from his shoulders. He’s done what was his to do.
So, who will bear the weight of his ministry now? Timothy, who represents the next generation.
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Each of us in our own way is a successor to Saint Paul, and therefore to Christ. Our baptism incorporates us into his body, compelling us to do his will.
So, how do we know if we’ve done God’s will and fulfilled the Law each day?
One example I practice is to look at a crucifix at the end of each night. If I can gaze upon the Lord honestly with a sense of tiredness because I’ve tried to love Him and my neighbor as best I can, then I believe I’ve done what he’s asked of me that day.
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While none of us may rival the accomplishments of Saint Paul, we can each follow his example by preaching Christ crucified in our words and actions.
Then, when our time comes, we can say in the words of Zechariah, “Lord, now you may let your servant go in peace.”
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Image credits: (1) Love and Law, More than Useless (2) Paul of Tarsus, Peter Paul Rubens (3) Krystal Craven Christian Music