Daily Readings - Sun Oct 31 2021

²So may you fear the Lord your God, and keep all his commandments and precepts, which I am entrusting to you, and to your sons and grandsons, all the days of your life, so that your days may be prolonged³Listen and observe, O Israel, so that you may do just as the Lord has instructed you, and it may be well with you, and you may be multiplied all the more, for the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey⁴Listen, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord⁵You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength⁶And these words, which I instruct to you this day, shall be in your heart

Hebrews

Chapter 7

²³And certainly, so many of the others became priests because, due to death, they were prohibited from continuing²⁴But this man, because he continues forever, has an everlasting priesthood²⁵And for this reason, he is able, continuously, to save those who approach God through him, since he is ever alive to make intercession on our behalf²⁶For it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens²⁷And he has no need, daily, in the manner of other priests, to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people. For he has done this once, by offering himself²⁸For the law appoints men as priests, though they have infirmities. But, by the word of the oath that is after the law, the Son has been perfected for eternity

Mark

Chapter 12

²⁸And one of the scribes, who had heard them arguing, drew near to him. And seeing that he had answered them well, he questioned him as to which was the first commandment of all²⁹And Jesus answered him: "For the first commandment of all is this: ‘Listen, O Israel. The Lord your God is one God³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength. This is the first commandment.³¹But the second is similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.³²And the scribe said to him: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth that there is one God, and there is no other beside him³³and that he should be loved from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole soul, and from the whole strength. And to love one’s neighbor as one’s self is greater than all holocausts and sacrifices.³⁴And Jesus, seeing that he had responded wisely, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to question him

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the heart of our faith: love. In Deuteronomy, Moses calls the people to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to pass this love on to future generations. This command is not just about rules but about relationship—a deep, personal bond with the one true God. In the Gospel, Jesus reaffirms this when a scribe asks him about the greatest commandment. Jesus quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy and adds the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, emphasizing that these two loves are inseparable. The scribe recognizes the truth in Jesus’ words, and Jesus commends him, saying he is close to the kingdom of God. The second reading from Hebrews helps us understand how Jesus makes this love possible. As our eternal high priest, Jesus offers a once-for-all sacrifice that frees us from sin and enables us to approach God confidently. His priesthood is perfect because he is holy, innocent, and undefiled, and his sacrifice is sufficient for all time. This means we don’t have to earn God’s love; it is already given to us in Jesus. Our response, then, is to live out of this love, letting it shape every part of our lives. So how do we apply this to our daily lives? First, we must remember that love is the foundation of everything. Loving God and neighbor is not just a feeling but a choice we make every day. It means putting God first, even when it’s hard, and treating others with the same kindness and compassion we desire for ourselves. Second, we must recognize that this love is only possible because of Jesus. His sacrifice frees us to live without fear and to trust in his mercy. Finally, we are called to share this love with others, just as Moses shared it with the Israelites and just as Jesus shared it with the scribe. May we live today in the reckless, self-giving love of God, knowing that this is the heart of the kingdom.