I struggled a little with today’s Gospel. Not because I didn’t understand it, but because the whole thing is just so good! Normally, I find a phrase that stands out to me, and I spend some time contemplating it. But today, I was having a hard time picking out just one thing.

So I decided to try something different. I imagined myself standing there with the Pharisees as they made yet another attempt to trap Jesus with a question.

And then it came to me. This was a mic drop moment!

They asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, and He told them to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and to love their neighbor as themselves. Then He said the whole Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.

Mic drop! I could almost hear Peter, James, and John in the background going, “Ohhh!”

But then I started thinking about how often I’m probably just like those Pharisees. Maybe I’m not trying to trap Jesus, but I certainly challenge His teachings by the way I live. And I can almost picture Jesus looking at me with that loving smile and giving me my own mic drop moment.

Do I love God with all my heart? Do I really love my neighbor as myself?

No. Not as completely as He calls me to.

And that brought me back to the other readings.

In Exodus, God tells us, “For I am compassionate.” And St. Paul talks about becoming imitators of the Lord.

There it is! God doesn’t just tell us to love. He shows us how to love through Jesus.

So I need to become an imitator of Christ. I can learn from the holy men and women around me and those who have gone before us, but ultimately, Jesus is the one I must imitate.

But how do I do that when I know I fall short?

That’s when I came back to something that stood out to me earlier in the Psalm: “the horn of my salvation.”

Why a horn? I know the Psalm is talking about God’s strength and His power to save us, but my mind went to a war bugle. A horn sounded when help is needed.

And then I pictured one of those little red emergency boxes on the wall. You know, the ones that say “Break glass in case of emergency.” Except mine would say, “Blow horn in case of emergency!” LOL!

Because when I struggle to love as Jesus calls me to love, I need to blow that horn! Call upon the Lord for help. I can’t do this on my own.

And thank goodness He is compassionate! He tells us so Himself in the first reading.

Of course, I shouldn’t wait for an emergency to call upon Him. I need His grace every day.

So my prayer today is simple. Lord, help me become a better imitator of Jesus. Help me love You with my whole heart and love my neighbor as myself. Help me be compassionate as You are compassionate. And when I struggle, remind me to blow the horn and turn to You for help.

Where in your life do you need to blow the horn and ask God for His grace?

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture: Exodus 22:20-26 | Psalm 18 | 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10 | Matthew 22:34-40