The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.”
Mark 12:32
Reflection
A scribe asks Jesus what the first of all the commandments is. He replies that it is to love the Lord with all your soul, mind, and strength. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. The scribe agrees, and Jesus tells him he is not far from the Kingdom of God.
Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees who question Jesus only to incite an arrest, this scribe asks a genuine question and understands the Lord’s answer. When we ask Christ something, we might not always understand the answer given us. But if we approach his answer with humility and an open mind, the Holy Spirit can help us reach understanding.
This Gospel also tells us the two most important commandments, ones which we can always improve upon. We often hear that we must love God with our entire being and love our neighbor as ourself, but this can be difficult to act out. Yet again, if we turn humbly to Christ and ask him to show us how to do this, he will not refuse. Keep an open heart and mind towards God, who only desires to bring you close to himself.
Saint of the Day
St. Francis Caracciolo: 1563 – 1608
| “That is, to respond perfectly to the love of Christ. Like the tone of a joyful bell, may it resound in our witnessing.” St. Francis Caracciolo |
The Healing Word 