30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A - 29th October 2017
It’s true – “All you need is love” – The Beatles put it to music and the Flower power people tried to create a civilization of love and peace. St. Augustine said: “Love and do what you will.”
It obviously has not worked – the doomsday clock is just minutes from midnight. Somewhere there is a slogan saying: “See how these Christians hate one another.”
The world of P.C.
Obviously the world of political correctness is not working either as we have seen recently in the world of entertainment and politics and, sadly, in our church.
Back to Basics:
It’s the simplest of messages. It’s the teaching of Jesus himself: Let’s begin again today: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it. You must love your neighbour as yourself.” Why not take this simple mantra to heart this very week and test it on the streets of the city, in the privacy of your home, your workplace, and when alone with your thoughts and grievances.
“And the people bowed and prayed to the neon God they made.”
When asked about these lines Art Garfunkel spoke of the “inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other.” (‘I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me.’)
The Honours Class of Love
The pass class is easy. You just privately hope that those you don’t like get what is coming to them and slip on the proverbial banana skin! When I love my neighbour with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind, then I am loving God and aspiring to the honours class of love.
Dear Lord, I cannot love as I ought. Please love in me and through me. Amen.
Fr. Michael McCullagh C.M.