Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time - B - November 4, 2012

The Great Commandment

What should be the guiding principle for life? Jesus answered that question with the virtue of love: allegiance to God, respect for others.

STUDIES FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS November 1, 2012

STUDIES FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SOULS November 2, 2012

MP3 PODCAST In this week's audio podcast, we look into the problem of loving others. What does that really mean?

FIRST READING Deuteronomy 6:4-6 was the Shema, the prayer of allegiance to YHWH that defined faith for Judaism.

PSALM Psalm 18 prayed to God with a sure attitude. While his love was mysterious, it would always lead us to him in the end.

SECOND READING The letter to the Hebrews spoke of the Christ as the eternal High Priest. Why did Jesus fulfill this role? Simply because of his self-giving that marked him as both as the one offering sacrifice and the victim offered.

GOSPEL Mark's gospel presented one of the rare times Jesus and his enemies agreed on a point of the Law. The scribe asked for a guiding principle in the Law. Jesus responded with Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18; love of God and love for neighbor were the keys to entering the Kingdom.

CHILDREN'S READINGS In the story for the first reading, James was depressed over a loss in the soccer championship, but it was God who reminded him that he loved the player who was just having a bad day. We, like James, are to love the Lord in return. In the story for the gospel, Sandra learned the meaning of the Great Commandment when she stopped saying, "If you like me, you'll do this for me," to "What would you like to do?"

CATECHISM LINK In this week's Catechism Link, we explore the Great Commandment.

FAMILY ACTIVITY Who is my neighbor? Luke's gospel turned Mark's account of the Great Commandment into a question of identity. Who are we to really love? Read Luke 10:25-37, then watch television to recognize those who we care for: the outcast, the sinner, the hated.