30th
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle
A
October
29, 2017
8:00
am at Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville
11:00
am at Saint Matthew Parish, Baltimore
Learn to Love
Some
years ago, I came across a book by a psychologist named Daniel Allender.
Doctor
Allender writes tells about a conversation he had with a man named Tom. They were sitting next to each other on an
airplane and Daniel tells Tom that he is on his way to give a presentation
about love and forgiveness.
Tom
admits that we all need to be reminded of these things, but then he quickly focuses
on his career. He states that what
pleases him most about his children is their intense focus on career and
success.
Tom also
mentions that his three children have been through a total of five divorces. He has not seen some of his grandchildren for
years.
Doctor
Allender asks him if it might be important to teach his children how to
love and maintain commitment. Tom
responds that he just figured that his children would learn this naturally, on
their own.
Allender
concludes that often we do not naturally know how to be loving
persons. We need to be taught and we
need to teach our children how to love.
How to Love
This
psychologist makes an excellent point in relation to today’s gospel.
Jesus gives
us the two great commandments of love. But
the question is: how do we love?
How do we love God and love one another? This morning I want to offer a few some
recommendations.
How to Love God
First, I
think the primary way of loving God is by praying.
Our
coming to Mass, really giving of ourselves to this and participating in it as
best we can is an expression of our love for God. Our desiring to receive Communion and
realizing that this is the heartbeat of our life is part of this.
And then,
we love God by praying privately, personally on our own. Some kind of prayer every day is a real expression
of our love for God.
It
could be reading a short passage from the gospels and just letting that be with
us through the day. Or it could be
praying the rosary or part of it.
It
could be speaking to God in our own words – maybe just thanking God for
something or someone each day. So,
weekly Mass and daily prayer – that’s a primary way for how to love God.
How to Love Others
And then, how are we to love one another?
On an interpersonal level, we need to approach
relationships with the expectation that they take some work. This is true of marriage, of parent-child
relationships, of friendships and on it goes.
For example, we need to try to listen and to understand the
thoughts and feelings of others. And
often we need to process our own thoughts and feelings silently before we speak,
and then express ourselves thoughtfully, and not in an “in-your-face” way.
We also need to “love one another” on the wider level of
our society in general. For example, to
take a hot-button issue, we as a country need a sensible immigration policy.
I do not know what that policy should be, but we do need a
policy. And, in this policy, we need to
do what we reasonably can to help others.
Look at the Lord’s words in the first reading. He warns his people not to oppress aliens
because you were once aliens yourselves.
The Lord concludes his statement by saying “I am compassionate” and he calls us to
be compassionate. So, we need to refrain
from negative stereotyping or demeaning people from Syria or Kenya or Mexico or
wherever they come from.
We need to want to do what we can to help. This is also part of how to love one
another.
Conclusion
So, an important theme today and I hope these “how-to-love”
ideas are of some help.
