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Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions - Mark 12:28-34

 

Humans were made to know God, love God, and serve God – something the Baltimore Catechism reminds us so resolutely. Before Christ, we had been given ten commandments, each broken down, by our Father in Heaven; when Christ came, we see how Christ summarized those into two commandments in today’s Gospel reading.

Love the Lord wholeheartedly is the first Commandment. We each have individual ways of expressing love to someone, and the Father sees our demonstrations of love. But, we are to love God with our whole heart, our entire understanding, and with all of our strength. This requires much effort on our part – to demonstrate the love we have for God through acts of prayer, study of Scripture, and even acts of giving.

Then, we are challenged by this second summarized commandment – to love our neighbors as ourselves. This particular commandment can get dicey, especially since we have not just our own personality with which to contend, but another person’s personality! However, it doesn’t excuse our failure to love others.

Nowhere is this call to love more evident than in the story of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, whose feast day is also celebrated today. In the midst of torture, abuse, and insults, Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions chose the path of love. They replied to threats of torture and death, acknowledging they understood their bodies may be dead, but they would be rejoicing with God, their Creator and ours, in Heaven. Rather than condemning those torturing them, they promised to continue their prayers for their persecutors.

Every moment of the final days and hours of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions’ lives were a testimony to today’s Gospel reading – love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies; love each other with all our hearts.

Love as Christ commands.

 

Ponder:


How can you better love God and your neighbor with your whole being?

 

Pray:


Lord, thank You for giving us Your commandments and showing us how to live them through the witness of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions. Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, pray for us.

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The final days and hours of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions’ lives were a testimony to today’s Gospel reading: to love as Christ commands. #dailygospel



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Copyright 2021 AnnAliese Harry

About the Author

AnnAliese Harry

AnnAliese Harry

AnnAliese Harry is a proud Army wife to her husband Chris, and a mother to their young children. She has a BA in History, a Masters in Social Work, and has worked with disabled veterans, troubled teens, and in early childhood intervention therapy. AnnAliese volunteers with several military chapel communities and serves as a lector, EMHC, Adoration coordinator, and Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) chapter president and vice president. She blogs about Catholicism, parenting, and military life at A Beautiful, Camouflaged Mess of A Life. Follow her on Twitter, on Instagram, or on Facebook.