Homily for Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent

The Scribes are generally portrayed as arguing against Jesus. But in today's encounter, Jesus and the Scribe are on the same page. Jesus tells him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." They agreed about the two great commandments of the Law. The first commandment calls us to love God, and the second to love our neighbor. The highest love is given to God.

The two commandments differ in the vigor of the love demanded. God is to be loved with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is only God who is deserving of our absolute love. To love God in this way is to be caught up in God's love for humanity, which is where the second commandment comes in. Love of neighbor is where God's pure and total love unfailingly leads us.