(ZENIT News / Nueva York, 11.03.2024).- Around 30,000 people joined Pope Francis in praying the Angelus at noon on Sunday, November 3. As usual, the Pope delivered his Sunday address before the Angelus. We offer the English translation of the Pope’s words below.
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Dear brothers and sisters, good Sunday!
The Gospel of today’s liturgy (Mk 12:28-34) tells us about one of the many discussions Jesus had at the temple of Jerusalem. One of the scribes approaches Him and questions Him: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (v. 28). Jesus responds by putting together two fundamental words of the Mosaic law: “You shall love the Lord your God” and “You shall love your neighbour” (vv. 30-31).
With his question, the scribe looks for “the first” of the commandments, that is, a principle at the basis of all the commandments; the Jews had many precepts and sought the basis of all of them, one that was fundamental; they tried to agree on a fundamental one, and there was discussion between them, good discussions because they were looking for the truth. And this question is essential for us too, for our life and for the journey of our faith. Indeed, we too at times feel lost among so many things, and ask ourselves: but, in the end, what is the most important thing of all? Where can I find the centre of my life, of my faith? Jesus gives us the answer, putting together two commandments that are the primary ones: the love of God and the love of neighbour. And this is the heart of our faith.
We all – as we know – need to return to the heart of life and faith, because the heart is “the radical source of their strengths, convictions” (Encyclical Dilexit nos, 9). And Jesus tells us that the source of everything is love, that we must never separate God from man. The Lord says to the disciple of every time: in your journey, what counts are not the exterior practices, such as burnt offerings and sacrifices (v. 33), but the readiness of heart with which you open yourself to God and to brethren in love. Brothers and sisters, we can do many things, but do them only for ourselves and without love, and this will not do; we do them with a distracted heart or even with a closed heart, and this will not do. All things must be done with love.
The Lord will come, and He will ask us first and foremost about love: “How did you love?”. It is important, then, to fix in our hearts the most important commandment. What is it? Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbour as yourself. And to carry out every day an examination of conscience and ask ourselves: is love for God and neighbour the centre of my life? Does my prayer to God impel me to go out to my brothers and sisters and love them gratuitously? Do I recognize the presence of the Lord in the faces of others?
May the Virgin Mary, who bore the law of God imprinted in her immaculate heart, help us to love the Lord and our brothers and sisters.
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