Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading

Deuteronomy 6,2-6

And hence, if, throughout your lives, you fear Yahweh your God and keep all his laws and commandments, which I am laying down for you today, you will live long, you and your child and your grandchild. Listen then, Israel, keep and observe what will make you prosperous and numerous, as Yahweh, God of your ancestors, has promised you, in giving you a country flowing with milk and honey. 'Listen, Israel: Yahweh our God is the one, the only Yahweh. You must love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let the words I enjoin on you today stay in your heart.

Psalmody

Psalm 18

Antiphon

The word of the Lord is pure and everlasting.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word,
no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just.

They are more to be desired than gold, than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey, than honey from the comb.

So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.

But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.

From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.

Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,

win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!

Second Reading

Hebrews 7,23-28

Further, the former priests were many in number, because death put an end to each one of them; but this one, because he remains for ever, has a perpetual priesthood. It follows, then, that his power to save those who come to God through him is absolute, since he lives for ever to intercede for them. Such is the high priest that met our need, holy, innocent and uncontaminated, set apart from sinners, and raised up above the heavens; he has no need to offer sacrifices every day, as the high priests do, first for their own sins and only then for those of the people; this he did once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.

Reading of the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark 12,28-34

One of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to him, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?' Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must 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 must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.' The scribe said to him, 'Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true, that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.' Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that no one dared to question him any more.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Homily

Jesus meets a scribe in the temple in Jerusalem. The scribe asks Jesus a real and decisive question: "Which commandment is the first of all?" From it, in fact, all life depends. Jesus, does not delay answering. He quotes a passage from Deuteronomy that everyone knew, as it was the profession of faith that the pious Israelites recited daily, morning and evening: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.* 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut 6:4-5). Then he adds: "The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
The agreement between Jesus and his interlocutor is in the twofold commandment to love God and neighbour; two commandments, so united as to be one and the same. Jesus is the man who knows how to love most of all and best of all. Jesus loves the Father above all things. The Gospel shows the special relationship between Jesus and the Father. This is the reason for his own life. The apostles were taught by the remarkable confidence that he placed in the Father, to the point that he called Him with the sweet name of "Dad" (Abba). And how many times have they heard that the only purpose in his life was to do the will of God: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work" (Jn 4:34)! Jesus is truly the greatest example of how we should love God above all things. Jesus loved men and women with the same intensity. For this he "became flesh." In Scriptures we read that Jesus has loved men so much as to leave heaven (i.e. the fullness of life, of happiness, abundance, and peace) to live among us. And in his life, there was like a crescendo of love and passion for men and women, even to the sacrifice of his own life.
Jesus, who first and to the end lived these words, suggests that happiness is to love others more than oneself. We cannot learn this kind of love by ourselves or on the benches of any human school; on the contrary, in such places, and from an early age, we learn specially to love ourselves and to take care of our business often against others. The kind of love of which Jesus speaks is received from above; it is a gift from God. The Holy Liturgy on Sunday is the privileged moment to receive the great gift of love. For this, on the day of the Lord, with joyous gratitude, let us approach the altar. We too, like the wise scribe, will hear the words, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."