Daily Gospel Reflection for March 24, 2017

Today's Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

“To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

I hate tiding up the bathroom, mainly because it is the kids’ bathroom and I don’t mess it up. I’ve raised them to be responsible and expect them to clean up after themselves. When I get frustrated I sing a little song to myself as I pick up their dirty laundry off the floor, “We are the children, who don’t clean anything! We just mess up and don’t do anything.” (Sung to the tune of the Veggietales song, "The Pirates Who Don’t do Anything".)

One of my children announced, “You know mom, we know about the ‘Children who don’t do anything’ song and we don’t like it.” I was amused and, well, embarrassed. Clearly, I wasn’t living this Gospel passage. I was making the sacrifice of cleaning the kids’ bathroom, but I was not doing it with love. Love should motivate all our offerings and sacrifices or they lose the gift they are meant to be.

Pope Francis has been working very hard to help us to see the importance of love. He has included the word love in the title of one of his encyclicals on love in the family. He constantly encourages the faithful to meet others where they are in the spirit of love. Scripture also reminds us that without love, we are nothing but a clanging noise. (1 Corinthians 13:1)

[Tweet "Love should motivate all our offerings and sacrifices. By @cathfambootcamp"]

Ponder:

When have I done the right thing for the wrong reason? Do I remember to make loving God and my neighbor a priority in my life?

Pray:

Lord, help me to do all things for love of You and others. Remind me to love first and let all else follow that love.

Copyright 2017 Mary Lou Rosien