September - Month of the Holy Cross

SCRIPTURE CORNER

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10, 27.
To love God is to love the neighbour for God's sake. This is most important command both in Old and New Testament. Keeping this command promptly would keep entire world in peace and all social issues would be resolved for it is command of justice. In the Gospel of St Luke (6, 31), Our Saviour says: " as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner."And in the Gospel of St Matthew we read: All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets Mt 7, 12. We like to be treated with understanding and sympathy, then we need to be like this to others. It is our neccessity and duty for it makes us worthy in God's eyes. This is God's will that we love Him in our neighbour: "as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. Mt 25, 40. That is why the beloved disciple writes: " If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? 1 Jn 4, 20
No matter how many good deeds we do, no matter how often we receive Holly Communion, or how much time we spend on prayers or pilgrimiges - it is all to no account if we have no love for our neighbour! "But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection" Coll 3, 14
Without it all our efforts come to nothing in God's eyes: "Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. 1 Cor 13, 3.
This is neccessity, and on it depends our First Judgement. We will not be asked about the prayers, confessions, Mass attendance, and Holy Communions received but Our Saviour will say: "For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me." Mt 25, 35.36
Charity will be our primary judgement. With heart filled with charity we will be OK even if we failed many times before in other matters. Active charity above all!" We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not, abideth in death".1 Jn 3, 14.


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