Solennità di Corpus Christi

First Reading 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Dear brother: Remember Jesus Christ the Lord, risen from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I suffer even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Keep reminding them of these things, and warning them earnestly in God’s name not to argue about words; it is useless and only ends in destruction for those who hear. Strive to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker blameless and who does not deviate from the truth. The Word of the Lord Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:4bc-5ab, 8-9, 10, 14 R. Lord, teach me your ways. Lord, teach me your ways, instruct me in your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and Savior. R The Lord is good and upright; he shows the way to sinners; he guides the humble in what is right, he teaches them his way. R The paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness to those who keep his covenant and his commands. The Lord confides in those who fear him, and makes his covenant known to them. R Gospel Mark 12:28b-34 At that time, a scribe approached Jesus and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” The scribe replied, “Well said, Teacher. You are right in saying that he is one and there is no other besides him; and to love him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is much more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions. The Word of the Lord Commentary on the Gospel Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (13th century) • Do you want to be totally? Love totally. For Sundays and Feasts of the Saints. “You shall love the Lord your God.” “Your” God, it says, and this is a reason to love him more and more; we love more what belongs to us than what is foreign to us. It is true, the Lord your God deserves to be loved; he becomes your servant so that you may belong to him and thus not be ashamed to serve him. For thirty years, because of your sins, your God has become your servant, to rescue you from the bondage of the devil. You shall therefore love the Lord your God. He, who made you, has become your servant for your sake; He has given Himself entirely to you so that you may give yourself entirely to Him. When you were unhappy, He restored your happiness; He gave Himself to you to restore you to yourself. You shall therefore love the Lord your God “with all your heart.” “All”: You cannot keep any part of yourself for yourself. He wants the offering of your whole being. He has bought you entirely for Himself, to possess you, He alone, entirely. You shall therefore love the Lord your God with all your heart. It is no use, as Ananias and Sapphira did, to keep a part of yourself for yourself, because then you could perish like them (Acts 5:1-2). Love, therefore, totally and not only partially. For God has no parts; He is whole everywhere. He does not want to share your being with others, He who is whole in His Being. If you keep a part of yourself, you are your own, and not His. Do you want to possess everything? Give Him what you are, and He will give you what He is. You will have nothing of your own; But you will have him whole and complete, while you are also whole and complete.