3rd Week of Lent

1st Reading: Hos 14:2–10
Gospel: Mk 12:28–34
A teacher of the Law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them. So he came up and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Commentary
“It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God.”

Performing religious rituals
while we make other things beside God
the real gods of our life
and loving no one but ourselves
is far from what it means to be
a religious person.
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