And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Today’s readings and Gospel would seem to allow me and other members of the clergy an opportunity to do a no-brainer homily. After all, the readings and Gospel simply point out that we are to love God and love our neighbor.

Most people would know that —“ and they would know it intuitively. You could be a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim and know that much. The vast majority of Americans have a belief in God and they know, at least subconsciously, that they are supposed to love Him. After all, He loves them.

In presenting a homily I could opt to drone on about love. Love, love, love —“ all you need is love. Not a bad Beatles tune.

The concept of love, like the Beatles tune, has become the Muzak of our times. Love is discussed, analyzed, Dr. Phil’d, Oprah’d, written about, and presented in the media almost constantly. Love is the staple through which Hallmark has made billions.

Moses, Jesus, the scribe all say:

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.

When they say ‘Hear, O Israel,’ who are they talking about? The Jewish people? Modern Israel?

No, ‘Hear, O Israel‘ is addressed to you and to me. We are Israel, grafted onto the vine. As St. Paul tell the Ephesians:

Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.

In Jesus’ blood we have become adopted sons and daughters and co-heirs to God’s promise. Jesus, perfect priest and perfect sacrifice, who because of His sinlessness had no need to offer sacrifices for Himself to the Father, sacrificed Himself for us.

The first and foremost proof of God’s love is the shedding of Jesus’ blood for us, and in that blood our adoption.

When Moses, Jesus, and the scribe speak of the required totality of love —“ a love involving every aspect of our being, what are they talking about?

Have you ever felt that kind of love, the kind that causes you pain when you are away from the one you love? The kind of passionate, deep, pervasive, total love that can best be described as hunger?

That’s the kind of love they were talking about. And, they did not mean until the honeymoon is over.

We, the new Israel, are to pour ourselves and our totality into God alone.

Listen to the love described in today’s Psalm:

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.

The psalmist was in love with the Lord. To him, the Lord was everything.

Our love for God and our neighbor is a derivative of God’s perfect love. God’s love is within us, and we as Catholic Christians share most closely in that love because the Holy Eucharist is present, here among us and within us.

Our love is indeed a derivative of God’s love because God’s love is part of our very essence as human beings. This is why the taking of life is immoral —“ for God places His love in each and every human being, whether an embryo, a single cell, a blastocyst, a prisoner, the elderly, or the terminally ill. God’s love is within all, even our enemies.

Our love for God and for our neighbor is a full immersion experience.

When Jesus saw that the scribe understood this He said:

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

When you commit yourself, when you immerse yourself, when you allow nothing to stand between you and your love —“ that is, God, then, just like the scribe who understood, you will be assured of the fact that you are not far from the kingdom of God.

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”