Prayer to start the day: Love your neighbor!

Sometimes it is hard to tell what kind of morning we will have until our feet touch the ground. Whether it's a busy morning or a slow, calm one, start with prayer. Whether you are a morning person or a night owl, start with prayer. Whether you need a quick workout to start or a strong cup of coffee, always start with prayer.

Prayer of the day

My God,

Thank you for blessing me with another day! It is a joy to have this new chance, and I pray that you will help me to start this day off right, even if I wish for five more minutes in bed. God, as I follow my morning routine and start working and doing chores, I pray that you will give me a happy heart and a focused mind. 

Lord, give me strength as I tackle a to-do list that never seems to end, and help me remember to have good times to rest and relax. I pray that you will always be in my heart today, God, no matter what I do, and guide my steps throughout the day. Thank you for always supporting me! I ask all this in your name,

Amen.

Message and thought for the day: Love thy neighbor as thyself

Jesus recalls five commandments from a set of six that make up the second tablet of the decalogue and that all refer to relations between men (Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20). Christ omits the tenth commandment, which concerns covetousness, and adds Leviticus 19:18, the summary of the other six (Romans 13:1-10).

"What?" (Matthew 19:17). This question from the rich young man evokes both the idea that certain commandments are more important than others, and the impression that he considers himself more capable of keeping some of them. Jesus cites the five commandments that concern human relationships, omitting the one about covetousness and adding (only in Matthew): You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19.18), which sums up everything (Matthew 22.37-39; Romans 13.9) .

The man claimed to have been watching them for years, but had the feeling that something was missing (Matthew 19:20), which Jesus confirmed, before reminding him of his duty to love God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind.

Had the young man done this? Had he loved God with all his riches? Jesus put him to the test, asking him to sell all his possessions and use the money to help the poor, and to come and follow him (Matthew 19:21).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" is one of the most famous biblical texts. What it says may seem "cool" at first glance. But isn't it also too demanding?

I find it hard to see teachings of Jesus that are not very demanding! But perhaps it is true that Jesus is particularly insistent on love of neighbor and its concrete expression in generosity. He puts so much emphasis on this because he wants to, as it were, come and test us. That said, in all other areas he is no less demanding: he states that one cannot follow him if one is not ready to carry his cross. In the face of this, loving your neighbor seems almost affordable!