Hos 14:2-10 Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17 Mk 12:28-34

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

In the midst of all the scheduling, errands and flat out clutter of our daily lives, sometimes it is best to go back to the basics. Every so often, we need to take a step back and remind ourselves who we are, both in relation to ourselves, in relation to others, and to that which we stand for. Essentially, we need to take a break and simplify. That is what I find so refreshing about today’s Gospel reading. All of the confusion and interpretation is stripped away, and we are left with the two most powerful yet very clear commandments:

The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Imagine the clarity in our lives if we always kept these commandments at the forefronts of our minds. Let us look at each separately.

The Lord our God is Lord alone. I doubt that many monotheistic believers view this commandment as any sort of challenge to their daily lives; however I do not believe that our Lord was only referring to the infamous iconic gods in the book of Exodus when He gave us this commandment. We must rather examine our lives to find those things which hold too much power over our lives. For some it may be wealth, exhibiting itself in the hours we log at work to the constant accumulation of possessions. For others it may be success, manifested in the office, in the classroom, or even within one’s family. In the end we must ask ourselves, ‘does God reign highest in my life?’

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. In a world with so many borders, both literal and figurative, it is difficult to find a place to begin. How many conflicts might we solve, how much suffering might we alleviate, and how much hatred might we convert to love and respect if we could all live by this commandment? Be you Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, or member of whichever religion you choose, could we not find harmony with one another if we shared a common bond of love? Some call me idealistic, but do we have the nerve to write Jesus off as an idealist?

Throughout the course of the day, let us find time to reflect on our lives, possibly find some way to simplify and move back to the basics.