Gospel Meditation: Love the Lord, Your God

Introduction

I offer a guided Ignatian meditation on today's Gospel. This is an invitation to let the scripture enter into your heart and mind and speak personally to you. Ignatius said that meditation specifically engages our memory, thoughts, and will. We hear the word of God, and we ponder it, noticing any words, images, or ideas that speak to our hearts. And we speak to God about all of this.

If this way of praying is new – simply relax and try to become engaged in the text. Try not to worry about what you are “supposed to” be doing. If you find yourself distracted during your prayer, very gently bring yourself back to the scripture text.

If at any point during the guided meditation the scripture comes to life in such a way that God invites to you stay with a particular moment, follow the invitation that you sense, rather than move on to where the written meditation is going. In that case you might want to stop reading and continue on your own.

Background to the Text

The gospel passages for the past few weeks all have the Pharisees or Sadducees challenging Jesus and trying to trap him. Here the Pharisees try one last time. After all the attempts to trick him, you might expect Jesus to respond to the religious leaders with some frustration. Instead, his response to the question about the greatest commandment centers on love.

Quiet your body and mind

  • Choose a position where you can be relaxed but alert.
  • Breathe deeply several times and let your body relax
  • Breathe out any worries or stressful thoughts and put them in God’s hands
  • Become aware of God’s presence here with you now, looking at you with love.

Ask for a grace

  • Ask God for the the grace of to love – to love God, your neighbor, and yourself.

Read the scripture passage

Read the passage slowly twice, savoring the words. The first time, just listen to get a sense of it, to hear what is being said. The second time, notice any word or phrase, image, or idea that speaks to your heart or “shimmers” for you. Stay with that word, image, or idea and ponder its meaning. Notice how it makes you feel. Savor the experience. 

Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Guided Meditation

When you hear the greatest and first commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” what is your response? What thoughts, images, or desires come into your mind and heart? What do you feel?

 

When you hear the second commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” what is your response? What thoughts, images, or desires come into your mind and heart? What do you feel?

 

What does it mean to love yourself? Have you ever experienced a struggle to love a difficult aspect of your neighbor that is rooted in a struggle to love a difficult part of yourself?

 

Who is your neighbor? Is there anyone that Jesus would say is NOT your neighbor?

 

Reflect for a moment on the meaning of love in the scriptures. We see that love is much more than a feeling; it is action, it is self-gift. What does it mean for you to give yourself to God?

 

What does it mean to give of yourself to your neighbor?

How are the two interconnected?

 

Take some time to talk with Jesus about what you have felt and experienced. Talk with him as with a friend, sharing and listening.

And when you are ready, close with a favorite prayer.

Take some time to talk with Jesus about what you have felt and experienced. Talk with him as with a friend, sharing and listening.

And when you are ready, close with a favorite prayer.

Review of Prayer

St. Ignatius recommends that we review our prayer. A written review has many advantages. It enables us to look back on our prayer experience, and to notice what happened. It allows us to be fully present to our experience of prayer. We do not write while we are praying. The review of prayer enables us not to judge ourselves or look for how well we are doing. It helps us to become more sensitive to how God is speaking to us in the here and now. It is also a precious record of our journey with God, which nourishes wholeness and integration.

Some questions to assist with your review:

What happened in your prayer?

What feelings did you experience?

During the prayer period, when did you feel encouraged?

When did you feel discouraged?

Did you receive the grace you asked for?

What did you receive?