Week of October 7, 2002
Michael S.

"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, 'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' "
     Matthew 22:35-39

Whenever I hear these words of scripture, there is another quotation that comes to my mind, the fatherly advice of Polonius to his son in Hamlet, "to thine own self be true". The two quotes together bring a third saying to mind, "You must be selfish enough to take care of yourself in order to be able to fulfill your obligations and duties to others."

In combination I take the intuitive leap to understand that in order "love my neighbor as myself" I have to keep myself spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally together so that I can meet my obligations to others -- related to me or not. For instance, I stopped smoking 26 years ago at the behest of my children. I have been able to see my children married and bless me with 10 grandchildren! What a sense of wonder and gratitude I have for these blessings. Many other things have changed in me and I am truly thankful for my experiences, too many and too personal to recount here. I invite you to consider these precepts and see how you have already been living by them.

Lord, thank You for having loved me enough to allow me to make mistakes and then understanding enough to change things inside and around me. Thank you for giving me the wisdom to make decisions and the strength to live by Your lessons. Grant me more opportunities to love others as I would love myself. Amen

Contributed by Michael S.
Published Monday October 7, 2002
Week 45 of Liturgical Year A