Friends,
The summon this Sunday is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our soul, and with all our minds.
The readings for this week invite us to consider how to live as followers of Jesus in our communities and our world. In the first reading, God speaks to the people of Israel about how they should treat the oppressed and downtrodden to please him.
The Psalm reminds us that we can only live the lives God wants by relying on him: he is our rock, strength, savior, and mighty help. St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians that we should all be imitators of the Lord in the joy of the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel, Jesus asks us to express the love of God that fills our hearts, souls, and minds by treating others as we would want to be treated ourselves. We find in others the image of the God who is love.
This week, let us pray for peace and justice in the world, asking God to help us grow in the love of him and of one another.
Joy and peace.
