The Two Greatest Commandments

Dear Parish Family,


A moral life is vital when we take upon the responsibility of discipleship. It was one of the many ways we express the impact that our God has had on our lives and probably one of the more meaningful ways, as well.


While it may be easy to express that a strong morality is necessary, sometimes it may be hard to decipher what a Catholic moral life may look like (and yes, morality has nuance). How do we know if we really are living a life that Christ commands of us? Simply, we must listen to him, especially in this Sunday’s gospel.


The Sadducees were putting Jesus to the test, hoping to catch Him in some type of error. When they asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest?” they were hoping to catch him making a mistake within a nuanced answer. What did Jesus do? He condensed all the commandments into two commandments:

             “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul,
              and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.
              The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
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They tried to catch him within the nuance, but Jesus brilliantly shows the Sadducees what a moral life looks like in a nutshell. Simplifying and clarifying how God wants us to live our lives. He didn’t change or even water down the law, but he made it digestible for all people.


Yes, a moral life may seem complex at times, but we must always be conscious of the idea that God is the designer of what morality looks like. God intends for us to live this way, because it is a glimpse of heaven and it helps us acquire a taste for the afterlife, where we love God for all eternity, with all our neighbors that we love.


Even within this Gospel, Jesus states that the first commandment is like the second commandment. What does that mean? The best way to love your neighbor, is to love the Lord, your God. They are inseparable. One who is learning to truly love God, will truly learn to love their neighbor (and even their enemy) as well. 
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Thank you all for being an example of this in our parish and out in the world. You truly are disciples who take your God’s commandment at heart.


God Bless,


Brett Becker
Youth and Young Adult Minister 

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