You must love your neighbor as yourself.

Pastor’s Pen
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Times

My Brothers and Sisters,

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:34-40

During our years in the Minor Seminary, each time our rector enters the conference hall to give us a conference, he would yell in Latin with an ovation in Latin, which translated means: “Whoever lives according to rules.” We would reply, “Live according to God.” At this moment, everyone sits down to pay attention and be ready to listen. All that goes to establish that God is the author of rules and order in our lives and in the world. Where there are no rules and order, what we will have is disorder, confusion, and chaos. For example, if there are no traffic rules on our streets and roads, there will be many accidents here and there. Therefore, there are rules and order in our moral, religious, and social life to direct and guide us. Order is said to be the first thing in heaven.

God himself gave us a set of rules and order called the Ten Commandments. The first three are in our relationship with Him alone and the other seven are in relationship among ourselves. Both are in co-relationship to His divine law so that there will be peace with Him and among ourselves. It is in this understanding, according to today’s gospel, that a scholar of the law in testing Jesus asked him, “Teacher, which Commandment in the law is the greatest?” the Lord answered him. “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul and mind. This is the greatest and the second is like the first: You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

In other words, you must accept all the rules that make up the Ten commandments without exception.  Take, for example, one who has two entrances into his house. He secured one and the other he did not.  A thief can gain access through the unsecured door to enter the house and remove valuables. Our obedience to God through the Ten Commandments must be total and complete before we can successfully gain God’s glorious kingdom in the next life.

Fr. Chris