Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34
Our idea of loving God is often akin to a dog performing tricks or chasing a stick for its owner. The dog does the trick and looks to see if the master is pleased or has a treat for it. How often do we have this very view: that we perform certain deeds, rituals, or behaviors and look to see if God is happy with us and will reward us with some good thing.
Jesus links the love of God to the love of neighbor. We love God by loving our neighbor. Throughout the scriptures we hear the injunction: It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice. God gains nothing from sacrifices nor from any supposed acts of love we claim to do on God's behalf. But we are to be merciful to others because God has been merciful to us, mercy being the singular act of God to us.
If we seek to be like God, to imitate God, and to seek perfection, then the one and only way to do so is by showing mercy to others - to forgive, to provide for others in their needs and meet those needs in concrete and specific loving deeds. The only way to love God is to love neighbor. If the rest of our faith life is not directed toward living a life of mercy then it is of no value whatsoever.
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