85. The Great Commandments

The love of God causes us to hate sin and do good. Mary Magdalen (1) after her conversion, loved God fully. She hated sin so much that she never again committed any, although she had previously been a great sinner. In the picture (2) is shown the child who, being told that Jesus is in the tabernacle, knocks to beg Him to make his father, an unbeliever, believe in God. Let us, in imitation of this child, knock at the heart of Jesus. He will answer our prayer.

Which are the two great commandments that contain the whole law of God?

— The two great commandments that contain the whole law of God are: First, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength; Second, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Who revealed to us the two great commandments?

— Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us the two great commandments.

Once a doctor of the law asked Jesus: "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Jesus said to him: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matt. 22:36-39).

1. The love of God is the greatest commandment, because it includes all other commandments.

If we truly love God, we will do nothing to offend Him. We would not commit sin, because sin is displeasing to Him. We would obey all the commandments. Not only that; if we truly love Him, we will do things which He does not require, but which we know will please Him.

2. The two great commandments are inseparably united, so that one cannot be observed without the other. As Holy Scripture says, "If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

The greater our love of God, the more we shall love our fellow men. And the more zealously we help our fellow men for God's sake, the more perfectly we serve God. Our love of God can best be gauged by our love of neighbour.

3. More specifically, the first great commandment embraces the first three of the Ten Commandments; the second great commandment embraces the last seven.

The two great commandments affect and control all the powers of man: his will, his understanding, his emotions, and his actions. Would we not have a perfect world, needing no other laws, if all men obeyed these two commandments strictly? For this reason, Our Lord said: "On these two commandments depend the whole Law" (Matt. 22:40).

Why should we love God?

— We should love God because:

1. He is infinitely good and perfect and worthy of love. "One there is who is good, that is God" (Matt. 19:17).

We can see the goodness and perfection of God all around us. If we meditate on His goodness, we shall never tire of loving Him. We love our parents and friends because they are good. Their goodness is nothing compared to the goodness of God.

2. He loves us, and is always doing good to us. We only have to think of ourselves and our lives to find an innumerable number of favours He has granted us.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that those who believe in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting" (John 3:16). "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee" (Jer 31:3) "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights." (James 1:17)

3. He wants and commands us to love Him. We are God's creatures. His slightest desires are law to us. How much more should we obey His solemn commands!

Our Lord said very clearly: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength" (Mark 12:30).

When is our love of God perfect?

— Our love of God is perfect when we love Him above all things, for His own sake.

1. We love God above all things when we would rather lose life, property, friends, and all things else, rather than offend Him; when we are ready to do anything in order to resemble Him, to give Him pleasure.

"He who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37). God permits us to love creatures, urges us to love our fellow men; but such love must be only for God's sake, subject to the love of God. God wishes us to love Him in His creatures, not the creatures for their own sakes. He will not take second place in our affections. "I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous" (Ex. 20:5). He will not permit us to love anything which detracts one whit from our complete love of Him.

2. We love God for His own sake when we love Him for His infinite perfection.

We love God for His own sake when we love Him because He is the highest good and most worthy of love.

3. Our love of God is not perfect when we love Him only because He gives us gifts, or threatens us with punishment, or promises us heaven.

Nevertheless, imperfect love of God is often the beginning of perfect love. Little by little perfect love develops from it.

How do we prove our love of God?

— We prove our love of God by obedience to His commandments.

"If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

1. We show our love more by deeds than by words. St. John says: "My dear children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed" (1 John 3:18).

The love of God is not a mere delight in thinking of Him; it consists rather of an act of the will, to live a godly life on account of that love. However, the love of God also makes us speak and think of Him frequently, since it is a human trait to do so regarding the object of affection. One who loves God is united with Him at every moment in every fibre of his being: in thought, word, and deed. "Where thy treasure is, there thy heart also will be" (Matt. 6:21).

2. We show greater love, when we not only avoid what God forbids, but do what will give Him pleasure.

Thus God does not command us to go to Mass every day, but if we do so, He is pleased by this mark of our love.

3. We increase our love of God by loving Him. "Practice makes perfect." The more we love Him, the more we can love Him.

Every piece of good work we do makes us grow in God's love.

We show our love of God by accepting all that comes from His hand. One who habitually murmurs at all inconveniences, sickness, misfortune, etc., does not possess Christian love of God, Who never promised us deliverance from all earthly ills.