Dear Parishioners,
As the days become fewer and fewer leading up to the coming election, so many of us look forward to the end of the most contentious one of our times. Voices on the right and the left have been so mean and vicious that it has been difficult to say, “I’m proud to be an American.” Hopefully, the election will settle angry attitudes, so that once again different factions will be able to disagree more agreeably.
Last week we saw opposing factions join together to trap Jesus and get rid of him (MT 22:15-21). But Jesus was brilliant and disarmed them with the words, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s.” This week, some other enemies of our Lord’s, the Pharisees, try again to trap Jesus (MT 22:34-40). In asking Jesus which of the commandments is the greatest, they hope Jesus will make a mistake. After all, there were 613 commandments in the Jewish law. How could one be more important than the others? But, of course, there is one, and Jesus tells what it is: “Love God.” And even though they haven’t asked him, Jesus tells them the second greatest commandment: “You shall love your neighbors as yourself.”
Let us pray that all political factions may be able to adhere to the second commandment up to and following the election. But they better start with the first one. For if you can’t love the loveable (God), how can you learn to love the unlovable (your neighbor)?
Fr. Carl
