August 12, 2017 Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time-A
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Psalm 18
Matthew 17:14-20
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you strength. Dt 6:4-5
Father, this is your number one commandment. You call us to make you the priority of life. Forsaking all other gods, we are to focus on loving you with everything we’ve got. The Jews wore these words on their foreheads and wrists. They spoke them two times every day of their lives. This commandment is so fundamental and important that all other commandments come from it. If we get this one right, all the others will fall into place. This is not an ego trip on your part, Father, but a supreme statement of your love for us. You know well that it is good for us to be in love with you. It keeps us from the destruction offered by the evil one. These words can guide us to avoid the distractions of the world that offer deadly alternatives to you. This commandment should be on every refrigerator door, every bathroom mirror and in the heart of all believers. What a different world we would have if all of your people would teach these words to their children, repeat them every day and strive to live them. Amen