Brothers and Sisters,

Today, we celebrate the thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Thoughts of Love permeate all the Scripture readings of today as well as the responsorial psalm. It is not the kind of love that is talked about in friendship circles and social gatherings. It is the kind of love that God has revealed in Jesus – the all-embracing, other-centered, sacrificial, steadfast and unfailing love. The first reading speaks of the covenant relationship that demands genuine love, especially for the marginalized in the community. People of the covenant must act toward one another as God acted toward them. They must reflect God’s compassion and concern for all people.

The Responsorial Psalm sings of God taking “delight” in delivering his people. God has given himself to his people in love and his love is loyal, steadfast, and unconquerable.  In the second reading, we read about St. Paul appreciating and congratulating the Thessalonian community for their works of love. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus proclaiming the essence of the whole law as “love of God and love of neighbor.” Love is not an abstract word. It is a living word, dynamic and active. It is full of life and energy and power. It is not a piece for a conversation or study or discussion or for writing an article or a book. Love must be felt, meditated, contemplated, and lived to its fulness. Pope Benedict described the commandment of love as “performative language.”

For the patriarchs, prophets and Jesus, love was never an abstract concept.  It was and still is always concrete and specific to people and situations. This reminds me of the following story.  A priest gave a wonderful sermon on love – all about love being unconditional, generous, sacrificial, other-centered, etc.  The next day, he got someone to pour concrete around the steps in the backyard and a path through the middle of the backyard to the street. A little while later, he heard voices of children in the backyard and looked out to find the children drawing stuff on the concrete. The priest went out and screamed at the kids and asked them to leave without messing up the concrete. One of the boys said, ‘Father you gave a wonderful sermon on love yesterday. What happened to it?” The priest replied, “Yes, I believe everything I said about love, and I love God and people as I said yesterday…but not in the concrete!”

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