Although the scribe who questions Jesus asks him only about the first of all the commandments, Jesus also reminds him of the second of all the commandments. Now, although love of God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind is the first of all commandments, for the Christian it is fulfilling the second commandment that becomes the single most important gauge of our conformity to the first. For, as Saint John
reminds us, we cannot claim to love the God we cannot see if we fail to love the neighbor we do see. Actually, because of the reality of the Mystical Body of Christ and our union with Christ our Head, the first and second commandments are virtually synonymous since to love our neighbor is to love one of the members of Christ’s body—which is to love Christ. And because of the mystery of the Trinity, to love Christ is also to love the Father and the Holy Spirit. That much being said, it is also true that fulfilling both commandments is only possible because, as Saint John assures us, God loved us first. Accordingly, because our love of God and neighbor draws its strength from the love of God that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, fulfilling these commandments is only possible if our hearts are open to this love. And so it is that the first commandment might also be expressed as allowing ourselves to be loved so that we in turn may love with the same love with which we have been loved. May our Lenten observance open our hearts to this love and empower us to fulfill these two great commandments of love.