Friday 20th week in ordinary time
"Mt 22:34-40"
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Jesus answered with two commandments that are in fact one: Love. The only important thing is to love God and to love others for God's sake. Like a good teacher who wants to get across the message, Jesus repeated this in many ways to make sure they got it. St Jerome (347-420 AD) explains that when St John the Apostle was a very old man he had to be carried in the arms of his disciples (no one had invented wheelchairs yet). When preaching he would repeat, 'Little children, love one another!' After a time, the wearied disciples asked him why he always said that. 'It is the Lord's command,' was his reply; 'do that and it's enough!'
Some special people demand more charity than others and usually need it more: the sick, the lonely, people who suffer... Remember Jesus' words: "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me". Saints have always seen Jesus in all suffering people. In the XVI century St Camillus de Lellis left everything to devote himself to the service of his masters (as he called the sick). When other nurses felt nauseous attending to a sick patient, they used to say: "This one is for Camillus." If someone came to tell him that an important person was looking for him, he would respond: 'Tell him to be patient; I'm busy with our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let's give our time and attention to those demanding persons, like the nun who was taking care of a sick Sister. After a long time she found it very hard to assist her. One day she decided to go to the Abbess and ask if she could be relieved. As she passed by the chapel she heard the sweet Voice of Jesus saying: 'My child, will you now leave me?' She burst into tears and answered: 'Never, my love', and back she went to her task with the sick Sister. Mary, Mother of Fair Love, teach me to love others and care for them as you would, since they are all your children.
