Gospel
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
Our first reading today from 1st Kings has Solomon asking God for understanding and wisdom to lead the people. He saw the need of so many and was moved to ask God not for riches or self focused things but for the ability to help them.
Solomon like Jesus put others ahead of his own needs. Jesus’ heart was moved by their need for guidance and their need to hear his good news. To learn about the love of God.
We too are called to consider the needs of others, even before our own needs, even well-deserved needs like rest as Jesus and his disciples truly needed.
We are called to help others like Solomon and to love others like Christ.
That is what the second commandment Jesus gave us means. To love others as we love ourselves.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “Once I surrender the tinsel to have the jewel, then I enter into the mystery of love. I see that I do not love anyone unless he has some goodness in him, or is lovable in some way. But, I see also that God did not love me because I am lovable. I became lovable because God poured some of His goodness and love into me. I then began to apply this charity to my neighbor. If I do not find him lovable, I have to put love into him as God puts love into me, and thereby I provoke the response of love. Now, my personality is restored and I make the great discovery that no one is happy until he loves both God and neighbor.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Simple Truths)
So you see, that to love others as we love ourselves is for our benefit as much as it is for others.
For the child of God is never really happy in this life until he loves God and neighbor.
Even beyond what is comfortable or easy. Even when we are tired, we should seek to bring the love God gave us and give it to others so they too can produce love.
Love has always been a choice. We choose to love even when we do not necessarily feel like it, but love as Jesus loved. We move from the realm of feelings to the true love where we loved because when we were not lovable, we were loved by God. If we choose it the love of God can and will rush into our spirit and be overflowed to others. Not because they are lovable but because we have the love of God in our hearts.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
Leave a comment