Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Riverton, Utah shared a reflection on the love of one another on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

“Today’s Gospel is one of those passages that seem so simple on the surface, but when we begin to realize what is being asked of us, we can see how challenging it actually becomes,” Deacon Duane wrote. 

The charge that we were given by our Lord to love God and love others with all that we are is a heavy responsibility and one that likely few of us have ever been able to accomplish. 

This weight is why the Ten Commandments began with the call to not have any other Gods before the Lord, to reverence him in the way that we speak, to keep the Sabbath holy, and yet still we find ourselves holding back parts of ourselves from God. 

“Do we show the respect we desire to our family, our friends and those that our heart falsely names enemies? When we look at the Commandments of not killing, resisting sexual sins, not stealing, not speaking falsely against another and not envying them because of their possessions, we see a clear call to respect every aspect of another person’s life,” Deacon Duane wrote. 

This commandment is a challenge for us. We do not consistently like those around us and we may carry a deep-seated envy of them or dislike of something that they did. 

“Yet, Jesus calls us to love each person we encounter: The ones we like as well as the individuals we prefer to keep our distance from,” Deacon Duane wrote. “Today, strive to keep Jesus’ call in your mind and heart. Consciously strive to love each person you encounter, no matter how you feel about them.”

We may not automatically have these emotions in us, but we can pray for the grace we need to live out the commandments given by the Lord himself.