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Reflect on the greatest commandment through the lens of family love and unity, inspired by the Gospel of Mark 12:28-34. Join us in nurturing faith and relationships.

Today's Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

In today’s Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds with beautiful simplicity:
 
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. . . . You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Ten Commandments. We used to watch it as a family every year during the Easter season. Eight of us would sit together in our living room, and it was one of the few times when we were all still and when the chaos of a large family was replaced with simple presence and calm. I can still recall the image of Moses carrying the two tablets with the Ten Commandments and descending Mount Sinai to the Hebrew people. In today’s Gospel, Jesus simplifies the law into two new metaphorical tablets: love of God and love of neighbor.
 
For families, today’s Gospel is a gentle call and one that is more important today than ever before: to anchor our lives in love of God and then to let that love overflow into our relationships with one another, putting aside the distractions of our day and being present with one another. We can show love to one another by listening patiently, forgiving quickly, and noticing the small ways that we can serve each other daily.

 

Ponder:

In what ways is the love of God demonstrated in my family? In my family, how do we show love to one another?

 

Pray:

Lord, give me the grace to anchor myself in love of You, and let that grace be transformed into great love for my family, friends, and those with whom I come in contact.

 

Pray Together:

Find a family-friendly movie and create a distraction-free environment to enjoy the grace of presence with one another. Bonus points if the movie can reinforce the love for God and our call to love one another!

 


March 13

Copyright 2026 Mariano Pimentel

Catholic husband, father of two daughters, and a pilgrim on a lifelong journey of faith, Mariano serves Holy Cross Family Ministries as the Director of Human Resources. He is currently discerning a call to the Permanent Diaconate with the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts. He is on a lifelong journey to find God and true beauty in the ordinary and in the unexpected.

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