Reflection for June 4 Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 12:28-34

Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  

The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And 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.”  

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God. And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Reflection:

The story is told of a pastor who was preaching about love for God and neighbor. Across from his church sat a man who would always make noise whenever the pastor preached. Naturally, the pastor would become distracted by him.

One morning, the pastor approached the man and angrily told him that he was disturbing the sermon. The man replied, “Why are you angry with me? Don’t you know that I am simply testing whether you are living what you are preaching?”

This story invites us to examine our own hearts. Do we truly love God? Surely, most of us would answer yes. But how about our neighbor? It is easy to profess our love for God with our lips, yet living out that love each day is an entirely different matter. Genuine love for God is revealed not merely in our words but in the way we treat the people He places in our lives.

If we truly love God, then we will also strive to love our neighbors—even those who are difficult to love. But who is our neighbor? Our neighbor can be anyone who has hurt us, disappointed us, or caused us pain. It could be a spouse, a relative, a friend, a co-worker, or even the person living next door. The ultimate test of our love for God is often found in our willingness to extend love, mercy, and forgiveness to those who have wounded us.

If we claim to love God yet continue to harbor resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness toward someone, then our love for Him remains incomplete. Authentic love for God transforms our hearts. It enables us, by His grace, to release the burdens of anger and to choose forgiveness even when doing so is difficult. This does not mean that the hurt was insignificant; rather, it means that we entrust our pain to God and allow His love to heal us.

What value is there in attending church, offering our gifts, and making sacrifices for God if we refuse to forgive those who have wronged us? Our worship becomes more pleasing to God when it is accompanied by a heart that seeks reconciliation, mercy, and compassion. True love for God is reflected in our willingness to forgive and to let go of the desire for revenge.

Yet there are times when the hurt continues and the offending person shows no sign of remorse. In such situations, wisdom may call us to establish healthy boundaries or even walk away. We do not do this because we have stopped loving that person or loving God. Rather, we do so because love is not the same as enabling harmful behavior. Sometimes the most loving and ethical response is to step away while continuing to pray for that person and entrust them to God's care.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us the two greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor. These two expressions of love are inseparable. We cannot genuinely love God while refusing to love others, nor can we truly love others apart from God's love working within us.

Does loving God and our neighbor always lead to a happy ending? Not always. There are moments when choosing love results in misunderstanding, rejection, disappointment, or sorrow. There are times when our efforts to reconcile are not returned, and our kindness is met with indifference. Yet even then, we are called to persevere.

The good news is that God never wastes an act of genuine love. Every sacrifice made for love, every forgiveness offered, every prayer uttered for those who hurt us is seen by Him. What may appear to be a sad ending today may, in God's perfect time, become a beautiful testimony of His grace and redemption. As long as we continue to love God and our neighbor, we remain faithful to the path that Christ Himself walked.

Today, let us ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. Is there someone we have been unwilling to forgive? Is there a neighbor whom God is calling us to love more deeply, pray for more sincerely, or treat more compassionately?

May we have the courage to live what we profess, to love as Christ loves, and to allow God's mercy to flow through us to others. For when we stand before the Lord, will He find hearts that merely spoke of love—or hearts that truly lived it, even when it was difficult?—Marino J. Dasmarinas