Reflection:  
Our First Reading, taken from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, is the Jewish profession of faith.  The gospel, on the other hand, recounts Jesus’ teaching about the two great commandments, the two legs needed for following Christ.

We can attempt to walk with only one but, we really need both legs to succeed.  The second reading, taken from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, is about the eternal priesthood of Christ, a priesthood that is forever active and never passes away.  St. Augustine tells us that priestly actions belong to Christ, not to the individual priest. Christ, the one and only great High Priest are acting through the individual priest, not from the individual priest’s personal holiness, but by ordination into the sacraments and from the fulfillment of the Lord’s command.
St. Augustine further uses the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds and the huge catch of fish to demonstrate that final judgment belongs to God.  Our community is a mixed bag of saints and sinners, where members learn to love God and neighbor as Christ intends, and where we learn to walk on “both legs” of the two great commandments.  Just like ordained priests, we are instruments through whom Jesus Himself continues His priestly work today.  Although we may not be sure of each other’s holiness, we can always be sure of the presence of Jesus Christ in our community.  He is forever enabling all of us, whatever our stage of spiritually, to more deeply embrace His grace and truth.
Love is more important than all the spiritual gifts exercised in the body of Christ.  Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice produce very little without love.  Love makes our actions and gifts useful.  Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone.  God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward the self.  It is utterly unselfish.  It is possible to practice this love, only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts so that we can give love, while expecting nothing in return.  Thus, the more Christ-like we become, the more love we are able show to others.
Love is not only expressed in showing respect, it is also expressed through self sacrifice and servanthood, self-giving, reaching beyond friends to enemies and persecutors.  Love should be a unifying force and an identifying mark of a Christian community.  Love is the key to walking in the light because we cannot grow spiritually while we hate others.  Our growing relationship with God will result in growing relationship with others.  When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments.  These two commandments summarize all of God’s laws.  Let them rule your thoughts, decisions and actions.  When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.
Quoting Pope John Paul II’s Catechism of the Catholic Church of 1992: “God never ceases to draw man to himself.  Only in God will we find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.  The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God.  Man exists because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence.  He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and thus, entrusts himself to his creator.”
If we accept the fact that we are made to know, love, and serve God, we might ask ourselves – “How can we do that, how can we achieve our ultimate purpose in life?” The answer is simple – since God is by nature pure love, we will know him by imitating him, namely, by loving.  “How do we love God?”  By loving others, as Jesus tells us in the gospel, for whatever we do to others, we do to Him.
God’s will for us is simply that we love – love him and love our neighbor as ourselves.  By so doing we fulfill our destiny.  No one can say that Christianity is complicated!  True, it is not easy, but it is very simple.  It all boils down to only one word: LOVE.
Another question we might pose to ourselves here is how are we able to love God with all our heart? How can we love God deeply and sincerely?”  If we are alert, we can see how God loves us every moment of our life.  If we are sensitive and awake, we can see that God leads us and helps us in everything we do and in everything that happens to us.  We are able to love God and thank Him because we are aware how deeply He loves us.  As we commune, share our successes, our problems, our worries with Him, we are able to trust in Him, knowing that He loves us.
Let us pray for perseverance and determination to commit ourselves to love God with all our hearts, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength.

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 4, 2012 (Sun)    Dt 6:2-6/ Ps 18:2-4, 47-51/ Heb 7:23-28/ Mk 12:28-34
November 5, 2012 (Mon)   Phil 2:1-4/ Ps 131:1-3/ Lk 14:12-14
November 6, 2012 (Tues)  Phil 2:5-11/ Ps 22:26-32/ Lk 14:15-24
November 7, 2012 (Wed)  Phil 2:12-18/ Ps 27:1-4,13,14/ Lk 14:25-33
November 8, 2012 (Thur)  Phil 3:3-8/ Ps 105:2-7/ Lk 15:1-10
November 9, 2012 (Fri)     Ez 47:1,2,8,9,12/ Ps 122:1-5, 8,9/ 1 Cor 3:9-11,16,17/
Jn 2:13-22
November 10, 2012 (Sat) Phil 4:10-19/ Ps 112:1,2,5,6,8,9/ Lk 16:9-15

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”