Seek to Love-HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 25th August 2023

Seek to Love-HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 25th August 2023

Ruth 1:1.3-6.14b-16.22; Ps.146; Matthew 22:34-40

Seek to Love

In Matt.22:23-33, some Sadducees came forth to test Jesus about the Resurrection of the dead. When the Pharisees saw that Jesus was able to put up with the Sadducees, they came forward to Jesus in today’s gospel to test him too; this time, about which commandment is most important than the others.

This question rather revealed the ignorance of the Pharisees about the Law. The question of what is most important presupposes that there are varieties of things (Laws) present. However, the commandments or the Law were actually different sides of a coin. Every law is born of love and is geared towards love. It is because God wants us to love that is why he gave the Law through Moses.

With this understanding, the question of which commandment is most important becomes irrelevant. One lesson we learn here is that authentic love makes us practice equity in all our dealings. Usually, we tend to treat those that matter with more respect and treat with less regard those whom we think have nothing to offer us. Love does not consider what we hope to benefit but the need in others that we want to meet.

This is the reason why Ruth chose to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi in today’s first reading even after Orpah had returned to her people. Ruth stayed because she realized that Naomi needed a companion. She did not consider her chances of remarrying and leaving a happy life thereafter. She did not consider that Naomi had little or nothing to offer her. She stayed because she loved.

Beloved, let us learn to love people, not what they possess. Let us learn to be concerned about the humanness of others not their properties. Do not seek who or what is most important; seek to love for love is indeed has no equal.