You have a lot of friends. You go to school with them. You learn with them, you have fun together. If your friend is good to you, helps you, he likes you, then you are happy to be with him, you willingly invite him to play and visit. You call him your friend. Everyone is happy to be with people, who are kind. He loves these, who love him. How much more God loves us. God loves people. How man should respond to God's love ?
The Chosen People respond to God to His love
The chosen people have experienced many times, that God loves him. The Israelites knew God's love best, when he led them out of slavery and made them his people.
The Israelites were to respond to such a great love of God with their love.
God Himself called them to do so :
,,Hear Israel, Yahweh is our God - the only Lord. You will love your God, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all your strength. Let these words remain in your heart, which I command you today. You will teach them to your sons, you will talk about them when you are at home, while traveling, going to sleep and waking up from sleep " (Pwt 6, 4-7).
“When your son asks you sometime : «What the meaning of these testimonies, laws and orders, which our God has entrusted to you, Jahwe ? »Answer your son : “We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He performed great miracles and wonders in our sight against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his house. He led us out of there, to come with us and bring us to earth, which he swore to give to our ancestors. Then God commanded us to obey all these laws, fear our God, that we may prosper at all times and that he may keep us alive, as it does today. This is our justice, to diligently obey all these commands to our God, as he commanded us »" (Pwt 6, 20-25). The law of God's love is the greatest and first commandment. From it arise man's duties towards God. The chosen people learned about these responsibilities in the Law of the Covenant received at Sinai. The Catechism gives them to us in these words :
1. You will have no other gods before me.
2. You will have no other gods before me.
3. remember, that you may keep the day holy.
Who loves God, this one honors Him as the only one, real ,,The god of Abraham, Isaac, The God of Jacob " (Wj 3, 6). She tries to get to know him (Mdr 15, 3). The better who gets to know God, the more she loves him, He obeys Him and proclaims His glory. He avoids everything, what distances him from God or what wants to replace God in the human soul.
Who loves God, this one will not take God's name in vain (Pwt 5, 11), he will pronounce them reverently and in real need. Who loves God, this one remembers the commandment : “Six days you will work and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of your God, Jahwe. You will not do any work " (Pwt 5, 13-14).
Man best expresses his dependence on God through sacrifices. That is why the Psalmist encourages : “Make an offering of thanksgiving to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High " (Ps 49, 14). Who loves God, he cares for his temple and rushes to it willingly. He prays with the words of a psalm : "God, i love home, in which you live, and place, where is your glory " (Ps 25,8).
The chosen people knew all these duties of love towards God. He has made a commitment to fulfill them in his life. In this way, he tried to respond to God's love with his deed.
Christ fulfills the law of love and calls us to do the same
The God of the covenant is our God. Right, which he announced to the chosen people at Sinai, it is our Law. For Christ, as you already know about it, he did not come to bear the law, but to confirm and improve them (Mt 5, 17). When one of the scholars of the law asked Him, which is the greatest commandment, Jesus answered him :
“You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment " (Mt 22, 37b-38).
The whole life of Jesus Christ was the most perfect fulfillment of God's law of love. Love for God, his father, most Christ has shown doing good to men. By this he fulfilled the will of his Father. He showed the greatest love for God the Father and people on the cross, when he sacrificed his life for the salvation of the world.
How will I answer God ?
From the moment of baptism, St.. I am a child of God. I am part of the new chosen people, God also loved me. For me, he created a wonderful and incomprehensible world. God loved me so much, that he gave his Son to death, so that I can live forever, that I may be saved. Like God brought the first chosen people out of Egypt, so he freed me from the bondage of sin.
In the church on the 30th Sunday (year A) and you will hear this call to love God. Christ came into the world for this, to reveal God's great love and teach us this love. By looking at Him you can learn, how you have to love God to the point of death. Consider, like you love god. How you show your love for Him ? How do you pray ? How you deepen your faith ? How do you honor God's name ? How do you attend Holy Mass. ?
For all, what God has done for you, thank him with the words of the psalm :
„Chwalcie Pana, to good, for his love is forever.
Praise God above the gods, for his love is forever.
Praise the Lord of lords, for his love is forever.
He himself has worked great miracles, for his love is forever.
He in wisdom made the heavens, for his love is forever.
He spread the earth over the waters, for his love is forever.
He made great lights, for his love is forever.
Sun, to rule the day, for his love is forever.
Moon and stars, to rule the night, for his love is forever.
He gives food to all flesh, for his love is forever.
Thank God, heaven, for his love is forever” (Ps 135, 1-9. 25-26).
About that, as God loves us, they will remind you of the words of a religious song :
If God didn't love us, the world would not exist today, if God did not love us, he would not have made such a sacrifice.
For us there in Bethlehem, where he was born in the stable,
When time has filled, he revealed himself to us.
If God didn't love us…
He traveled the world for us, still preaching the Gospel,
That God and our Father himself awaits us. If God didn't love us…
For us on this terrible night, drenched in bloody sweat,
When he endured power of suffering, was published by us.
If God didn't love us…
For us, for the whole world on the Dead Skull Hill
He unbuttoned his arms, redeemed us through the cross.
If God didn't love us…
For us on this Great Night, as the morning began,
He rose from his grave and thus conquered the world!
If God didn't love us.
(Sl. i banana. : A.M. Cocagnac O.P. Crowd. : pcs. St. Sierla).
■ Think:
1. You will have no other gods before me, who love them ?
2. You will have no other gods before me, that God loves him and is kind to him ?
3. You will have no other gods before me ?
4. You will have no other gods before me ?
5. You will have no other gods before me ?
6. You will have no other gods before me ?
■ Remember:
41. “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind " (Mt 22, 38).
42. You will have no other gods before me ?
The following duties are related to the law of God's love :
a) You will have no other gods before me.
b) You will have no other gods before me
c) remember, that you may keep the day holy.