Fans of Jesus

出 22:20-26; 詠 17:2-4, 47, 51; 得前 1:5-10; 瑪 22:34-40

在今天的福音中，有人問耶穌：「師傅，法律中哪一條誡命是最大的？」耶穌給了一個非常清楚的答案：「你應全心、全靈、全意，愛上主、你的天主。」。祂隨即補充了第二條誡命：「你應當愛近人，如你自己。」對耶穌來說，這兩條誡命是密不可分的。如果我們忽略身邊的人，就不能說自己真正愛天主。

在第一篇讀經《出谷紀》中，天主提醒祂的子民，不可欺壓外方人，不可苛待寡婦和孤兒，也不可利用貧窮和弱小的人。換句話說，愛不只是一種感覺，也不只是我們口中的言談，而是要透過我們對待別人的方式表達出來，尤其是那些正在受苦、需要幫助，或沒有能力為自己發聲的人。

有時候，我們可能以為，愛天主就是祈禱、參與彌撒，以及盡自己在教會內的本分。這些固然重要，但我們的信仰也必須促成我們在家庭、工作和社會中的生活方式。一點耐心、一句友善的話語、願意聆聽他人，或一個寬恕別人的決定，都可以成為我們愛天主的具體表達。我們未必每天都能做出什麼大事，但我們的愛卻能在那些平凡而微小的行動中得以彰顯。

在第二篇讀經中，聖保祿稱讚得撒洛尼的信友，因為他們的信德透過生活的見證，廣為人知。他們的生活，也幫助了人們認識福音。其實，我們也可以做到同樣的事。我們不一定需要很多的言語來宣講信仰。當別人能從我們身上感受到良善、誠實、慷慨和關懷時，他們就能看見基督在我們生命中所行的工作。

親愛的朋友們，或許今天我們可以問自己一個簡單的問題：我對天主的愛，如何能透過今天對某一個人的態度和行動，來表達出來？這個人可以是我們的家人、鄰居、一位陌生人，或是一個我們很難去理解的人。在我們繼續舉行這臺感恩祭時，讓我們祈求上主加深我們對祂的愛，並幫助我們在日常生活中，把這份愛活出來。因為當我們真誠地彼此相愛時，我們的信仰便成為一個可見的見證，讓其他人也能親身感受到天主的愛。阿們。

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 17:2-4, 47, 51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40

In today’s Gospel, someone asks Jesus a question: “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus gives a very clear answer. We must love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. And he immediately adds a second commandment: we must love our neighbour as ourselves. For Jesus, these two commandments belong together. We cannot truly love God while ignoring the people around us.

The first reading from Exodus reminds us what this love looks like in practice. God tells his people not to mistreat strangers, widows or orphans, and not to take advantage of those who are poor or vulnerable. In other words, love is not just a feeling or something we speak about. It is shown in the way we treat people, especially those who may be struggling or who have nobody to stand up for them.

Sometimes we may think that loving God means saying our prayers, coming to Mass and observing our religious duties. These are important, but our faith must also shape the way we live at home, at work and in our community. A little patience, a kind word, a willingness to listen, or the decision to forgive someone can be a real expression of our love for God. We may not always be able to do great things, but we can show love in small and ordinary ways every day.

In the second reading, Saint Paul praises the Thessalonians because their faith has become known through the way they live. Their lives have helped others to discover the Good News. The same can happen through us. We do not always need many words to speak about our faith. When people experience our kindness, honesty, generosity and concern, they can see something of Christ working in us.

Dear friends, perhaps today we can ask ourselves a simple question: how can I show my love for God by the way I treat someone today? It might be someone in our own family, a neighbour, a stranger, or someone we find difficult to understand. As we continue to celebrate the Eucharist, let us ask the Lord to deepen our love for him and help us to make that love visible in our daily lives. For when we love one another sincerely, our faith becomes something that others can see and experience. Amen.