by Fr. Gregory-David Jones, O.S.B.

      We are all familiar with the Golden Rule, “treat others as we would like to be treated”, but the reality is that common saying is watered down from what Jesus taught.  Treatment is not the same as love.  They can be related, one can be the motivation for the other, but they are not the same.  Jesus said the command is, “… love your neighbor as you love yourself,” for the specific reason that love makes God a necessary part of the equation in order to understand the commandment at its deepest level. 

     Love in essence was what motivated God to create all human life.  It is the love of God the Father that made forgiveness of sin possible through the sacrifice of His Son.  The love of God was expressed to us when he sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify us to do the work of His Son in the world.  All the gifts of life, mercy and redemption make us indebted far beyond anything we can repay in return in a million life-times.  All that God asks of us in return is to share those gifts of life, mercy and redemption we have received with everyone without questioning whether they deserve it or not.  Outside of love, nothing else is relevant.

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