Let’s learn true love, let’s keep the love of Jesus.

All of us who have to fight for true love, because we know daily the attacks of the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil, long to be strengthened to resist and persevere in true love. Jesus’ words are clear: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength… You shall love your neighbor as yourself!” There is no other, greater commandment than these” (Mk 12:30-31).

The Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) noted the importance and need for the commandment of love. Already in the Old Testament in the Book of Deuteronomy (cf. 6:4-5), this command was not understood as something restrictive, but as the greatest wisdom. Whoever knows this command of God, God’s advice, or guideline for life should accept it as the greatest wealth. The lawyer asks Jesus the question: “Which commandment is the first of all” (Mk 12:28), it cannot be understood as a provocation or a bad intention. The lawyer listens to how Jesus correctly answers the questions of the people from the crowd.

The Jews had 365 positive and 248 negative commandments. Such a number can confuse which order is the first, the most important, and the most essential. Jesus answers. Two commands that do not stand next to each other in the Old Testament, Jesus connects, so to speak. It is essential for us that Jesus not only combines these commands but also interprets them: “There is no other, greater commandment than these” (Mk 12:31). Jesus combined two commands, which no one had done before him. He teaches that one commandment without the other cannot be separated. One commandment without the other would be incomplete. To love God and not to love your neighbor is not true love. The truth is that God wants to be loved in a twofold way of love: indirectly through people and directly through devoted gratitude of faith.

The commandment of love leads us to follow God, who is love. The view of the world teaches us the love with which God loved a man before he created him. The whole world is a song about God’s love. Jesus expressed his love with words and confirmed it with his death. Could we have received more from God than we received in the Eucharist, the mystery of love, when we have the living and true God present among us in this sacrament?

The world does not want to hear about God’s love. We need it all the more. What can be expected from the world without love? Murder, not only in wars but also in unborn children, murder of conjugal love, sibling, neighborly, friendly love… Whoever does not love his brother or sister does not even love God. A Christian loves God in another person and himself. Whoever hates himself, his neighbor also hates God. Only man is capable, from created things, of true love. Let us renounce any part of the commandment of love and cease to observe it, we cannot speak of true love.

The fight for love reminds us of St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-13). And it would be beautiful if we used the words from 1 letter of St. John the Apostle (4.7-5.4), which begin with the words: “Let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4.7).