Saturday of the First Week of Lent - February 27, 2021

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Deuteronomy 26:16-19 Matthew 5:43-48

The common theme throughout today’s readings is the command that we observe the statutes of the Lord. If these rules are strictly followed, as today’s reading from the Old Testament says, we will be “blessed.”

My early Catholic education was immersed in the Baltimore Catechism that laid out the statutes of the Church in exquisite detail. Each statute had to be strictly followed and believed as absolute truth in order for us to be worthy of being called “Catholic.” I was taught that the universe is ordered. There were no shades of gray, no room for doubt. Follow the rules and all would be right in the here and now, and in the hereafter.

As the turbulent 60’s passed and the twentieth century became the twenty-first, the ordered universe of my childhood continued to unravel. Making nine First Fridays, or understanding the doctrine of the Trinity could not explain why races, nations, ideologies, and “tribes” became more polarized. Nor could it explain why those who were declared Christ’s representatives have abused the most vulnerable among us.

But then I read today’s Gospel message. It also refers to “a rule.” Jesus’ commandment is simple and requires only that his followers love God and love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus makes clear that “our neighbor” includes our enemy. The tent of our love should be large enough to encompass all.

There is a need for rules and decrees. All institutions, human or divine, require a system of beliefs, clearly defined codes and principles to put them into practice. But it seems to me that we can become so focused on the rules that we lose sight of the heart of the Gospel. Jesus’ simple rule is the foundation of the institution that we call “Church.” So simple to understand, but so hard to put into practice. But I was taught, and I believe, that if Jesus’ Great Commandment is strictly observed, then everything else will fall into place.

Q: Who are three “neighbors” I encounter on a day-to-day basis in my life? How can I better follow Jesus’ command in my relationship with each of them?

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