Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is possible to attend Mass every Sunday, say our prayers faithfully, know the commandments and still struggle with the very thing that makes us Christians which is love. We often speak about loving God but this Sunday’s readings confront us with an uncomfortable question such as; Can we genuinely love God while remaining indifferent to the suffering of the people around us?

In the first reading, from the Book of Exodus, God speaks to the Israelites shortly after their liberation from slavery in Egypt. They were learning how to live as a covenant people and God’s commandments were intended to shape a society built on justice, compassion and respect for human dignity. God specifically mentions three vulnerable groups, foreigners, widows and orphans. In the ancient world, these people often lacked the family protection, economic security and social influence necessary for survival. God commands Israel not to exploit them, reminding the people that they themselves had once been foreigners in Egypt. Their painful history was meant to teach them compassion. What makes this reading particularly challenging is that God does not simply recommend kindness, he demands justice. He hears the cry of the poor and takes their suffering personally. This speaks directly to our society today, where families struggle with rising living costs, elderly people experience loneliness, migrants face hostility and vulnerable individuals are sometimes treated as burdens rather than human beings. We cannot claim to be faithful to God while ignoring the dignity of those who need our protection.

In the Gospel, a lawyer who is an expert in the Jewish Law, approaches Jesus with a question: “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” This takes place in Jerusalem during the final days before Jesus’ Passion, amid growing hostility from the religious authorities. The question was significant because Jewish religious life was governed by numerous commandments and teachers debated how these obligations should be understood. Jesus responds by bringing together two passages from the Old Testament. From Deuteronomy 6:5, he commands wholehearted love of God; from Leviticus 19:18, he commands love of neighbour. These were not new commandments but Jesus places them together as the foundation upon which the entire Law and the Prophets depend. We cannot separate our relationship with God from the way we treat other people.

Notice that Jesus does not say we should love God only with our emotions. He speaks of loving God with all our heart, soul and mind. This means allowing God to influence our decisions, priorities, relationships and behaviour. Likewise, loving our neighbour is not simply about being friendly to people we like. It means recognising the dignity of those who disagree with us, forgiving those who offend us and showing compassion even when it demands personal sacrifice. This is particularly important in our parish communities. We may disagree about how things should be done in the Church, hold different political opinions or struggle with difficult personalities. But if our disagreements lead to gossip, resentment, exclusion or hostility, what becomes of our Christian witness? Sometimes the greatest challenge to loving our neighbour is not helping someone far away but showing patience and kindness to the person sitting beside us at Mass.

St Paul, writing to the Thessalonians around AD 50-51, praises them for becoming imitators of Christ despite suffering and persecution. Their faith became an example to others because it was visible in their transformed lives. This challenges us to ask whether our own faith makes any noticeable difference. Would someone recognise us as Christians through our honesty, generosity, forgiveness and concern for others, even without knowing that we attend church?

Dear friends, the greatest commandment is also our greatest examination of conscience. We cannot compensate for a lack of charity by multiplying prayers nor can we claim to love humanity while neglecting God. The two commandments belong together. As we approach the Eucharist today, where Christ gives himself completely out of love, let us ask for the grace to love beyond words and good intentions. The true measure of our love for God is revealed in how we treat the people he places in our lives. May our homes, workplaces and parish communities become places where that love is not merely preached but genuinely experienced. Amen.