Today we hear the Gospel of St. Matthew Chapter 22 verses 35-46, which speaks about the greatest and most important teaching of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, that of the greatest commandment of all, LOVE. Jesus in his ministry taught us that the first commandment is about love and that the second and most important commandment is also about love.
You see that love is the greatest commandment which crowns and holds together all Christian attitudes, virtues and deeds. But let us go a step further and ask the question, “What is Christian love”? To begin our examination, Christian Love is God’s Grace in Action, expressed in forgiveness, healing and the unity of His people in faith and love. We know from the study of world religions that many religious leaders and philosophers have spoken about love, but not one made it as central as Jesus did. You see Christ, as others, spoke about love but more so also fully lived it. He Himself is the incarnate love of God sacrificed on the Cross for our salvation.
Therefore, the central and eternal message of our Christian faith and the core of its existence, is love. You see Christianity is a movement of love and when Christ lives in the Christian, He truly reigns in the local parish, our parish. Christ truly reigns and lives as Holy Love. The Church Fathers and Saints frequently talked about the supreme value of Christian love which is none other than the Holy Love of Christ in our hearts. As Christians we should invite Him into our daily lives, living close to Him and be assured that as we grow in His Grace and experience the wedding feast of God’s Kingdom here and now, we genuinely receive the power to love others with Christ’s love.
We are only a week away from the beginning of our parishes 50th Anniversary, a celebration of thankfulness and gratitude for the past years in which Our Lord has blessed us with His love, and for the future years in which we hope God will continue to help us prosper and enable us to bring more souls to the Kingdom of God on earth. Let us give thanks to our Heavenly Patron, Father Herman of Alaska, who by his life we have an example by which to follow, guiding us with the Northstar of Christ’s Holy Church!
