30th SUNDAY

in Ordinary Time

commandment

of love

(26th October 2008)

 

THE 7 STEPS

 

1.      SILENCE

2.      WORSHIP

3.      SCRIPTURE READING

4.      MEDITATION

5.      BY HEART

6.      INTERCESSION

7.      COVENANT PRAYER

 

“We love because God first loved us” is a

cause and effect phenomenon.

The cause is “because God first loved us” and when we are able to fervently believe this;

the effect on us is

that we love.

 

“Jesus came into this world for one purpose. He came to give us the good news that God loves us, that God is love, that He loves you, and He loves me.

How did Jesus love

you and me?

By giving His life…

 

Mother Teresa

 

 

 

Scripture Reading:  Mt. 22:34-40

…Jesus said, ‘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 resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself…

 

Meditation: Try to answer as many questions as possible

1.      Whom were Jesus speaking to?  What were their intentions? 

2.      What is the meaning of a commandment?  Can love be a commandment?  Does God need our love?  Why did Jesus say ‘we must love the Lord your God…’?  If God does not need our love, then for whose benefit is this commandment?          

3.      ‘…with all your heart’:  How important is the heart to our human bodies?  What happens to us without the heart?  What is the difference between loving half-heartedly and loving totally?  How does God love us – half-heartedly or totally?        

4.      ‘…with all your soul’:  The soul is the source of life.  The different functions of the soul are to love, to choose, to imagine, to express ourselves.  Without the soul, what would happen to us?  How can we love God with all of our soul?  What would a love without soul be like?      

5.      ‘…with all your mind’:   To know is to love and to love is to know.  How can we know who God is?  What do we use our minds for?  How can we use our intellect to love God?                 

 

By Heart: Reflect on this in light of your daily life situation

When God created us, he made us in his image and likeness.  As a result, we were created out of love and for the purpose of love.  In other words, we were created to be loved and to love.  Thus, we reach the fullness of life when we know that we are loved unconditionally by God and we experience his love personally.  We are capable of loving because God first loved us.  His love makes it possible for us to love him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. 

-          Am I convinced of Christ’s love for me and mine for Him?

-          What must we do to get this conviction?

We must know Jesus, love Jesus, serve Jesus…

and in doing so, we can know others, love others and serve others.

 

Intercession:

1.      For the family of John, that God will continue His protection, guidance and mercy towards them and may they love Him more and more each day.

2.      For Judy (friend of Jill) who is undergoing treatment for lung and lymph node cancer, that God will give her strength during treatment and heal her.

3.      For the family of Angela, especially her elderly grandparents and her father who is suffering from high blood sickness and for guidance in her studies and life.

4.      For Vincent who is having his A-levels exams, that he might do well in the exams in order to be eligible for scholarship to study abroad.

5.      For the conversion of the family of Elizabeth to Catholicism.

6.      For Gary who is away from home because of his job and living in Putrajaya, that he might be strong in his faith and persevere in his prayer life.  

7.      For Adrian and Pauline who is in UNIMAS and all students having exams, that in the next two weeks they might do well in their final examination and for all those in UNIMAS who couldn’t make it every Sunday to mass due to the problem of transportation.

 

Covenant Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, by your suffering, death and resurrection, you give us new life:  a life filled with joy and purpose; a life only you can give it, for you are the source of life.  Guide us on our pilgrimage of life, that following you faithfully as your disciples, we may witness boldly to the world, your love and truth.  Enlighten our minds and hearts that your Word which we read and meditated may take roots in our lives.  Help us not to fall into sin and if we do fall due to our human weakness, bring us back to you for you are the way, the truth and the life. We also pray for all our brothers and sisters, wherever they are, who are committed to this prayer, that their faith may be strengthened, their hope assured and their love fulfilled.  In your name we humbly pray.  Amen