WEBVTT

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Glory be to Jesus Christ. Today we heard two

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Gospels, one for the regular designated Sunday

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Gospel and the other in commemoration of the

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Sunday before the glorious Elevation of the Cross,

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which we celebrate tomorrow. In this morning's

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Gospel reading from Matthew, the evangelists

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tell us that the Pharisees instructed one of

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the lawyers to approach Christ with a kind of

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a trick question. This text says that they tempted

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him. The question is, which master is the greatest

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commandment? Now, it's important to note why

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this question was raised in the first place.

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At the time of our Lord, there were some 613

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commandments based on the old Mosaic law. 613.

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365 of them were negative and 216 were positive.

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That all the Jews were required to follow. So

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thus the importance of this trick question. Master,

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which is the greatest commandment? Jesus answered

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by quoting from the Old Testament, from the book

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of Deuteronomy. Love the Lord your God with all

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your heart and soul and mind. This, he said,

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is the first and great commandment. And the second,

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Jesus said, is equally important. Notice, equally

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important. Love your neighbor as yourself. On

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these two commandments, the whole structure of

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the testament is based. It summarizes The belief

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and faith in God. They contain, these two contain

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all of the teachings. But throughout history,

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there are always those who have tended to separate

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belief in God from their daily actions. And the

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way a person can can show his or her love for

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God is by reflecting it to others. As St. John

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in one of his epistles says, how could you love

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God whom you can't see if you can't love your

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brother whom you see? So throughout the New Testament,

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The supreme virtue, the supreme question, the

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supreme answer is always, how do I love God and

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do I love others? Jesus said, a new commandment

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I give unto you, that you love one another. But

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he didn't stop there. That you love one another

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as I have loved you. And we heard in the gospel,

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God so loved the world, so loved us, that he

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gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes

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in him should not perish, but have everlasting

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life. Jesus, by this teaching, has forever linked,

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forever. The love of God with the love of man.

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And in that unsurpassable love, which he demonstrated

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before the night he was crucified, he gathered

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his apostles at the Last Supper. He took off

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his outer garments, wrapped a towel around him,

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And washed the feet of his disciples. Who could

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ever forget. That incredibly magnificent parable

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of the Good Samaritan. Again. It's love. By this

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act Jesus said. You link these two commandments.

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God. and let love forever. And on this Sunday,

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before the cross, before the feast of the Elevation

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of the Cross, and before, shall we, in quotes,

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the Feast of Glendy, I want to recognize and

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express thanks And admiration to all of you who

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have worked so faithfully, willingly, lovingly

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in promoting this event. And I want to say that

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all our parishioners, except those who are over

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85, as Father Lawrence said last year, they are

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exempt. but should be in one way or another involved.

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And the reason I say this is because everything

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you and I do as Christians must be rooted in

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what the Lord said. I have come not to be ministered

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unto, but to minister, to minister. Glendi, from

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the beginning, was never simply, as I understood

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it, and I'm here since August 1st, 1990, so I've

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been a participant in this activity. It never

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was, nor is it simply, a... Attempt. To increase.

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The coffers of the church. It's more than a fundraiser.

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It is an expression. Of our outreach. To the

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community. It is an expression. Of our opportunity.

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To do evangelism. An opportunity. To show love.

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For Christ. his church, and for our community.

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Now I should end here with a period. But I can't.

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Because when I reflect on the multitude of blessings

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that we in this community have received throughout

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these past years, I want to suggest that we give

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thanks to God. We give thanks because, as you

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heard in both scriptures, we have countless blessings.

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And because of that, I want to suggest that our

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parishioners Those of you who can. Instead of

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wearing bibs, I want you to wear aprons. And

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I say this for this reason. Bibs are for those

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who are more interested in being served than

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in serving. Hear me. Bibs are for those who think

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that the church exists for them and for their

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needs. Bibs are for those who have not completely

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understood the implications of the great commandment

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and the second that is equally as important.

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Love God with all your being, your total being.

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Love God and the loving God. You can't help but

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loving your neighbors. Now, aprons, on the other

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hand, are for those who are willing to make an

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effort. For those who are willing to serve God

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in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Aprons

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are for those who want to see the church grow

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and have decided that lukewarm faith, separating

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belief in God and serving others, is not what

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the Christian faith is all about. When the church

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ceases, To be missionary in its outlook. And

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in its ministry. The church ceases to be. What

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God in Christ intended to be. On this Sunday.

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I want to remind you. That on the great feast.

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Of Pentecost. Let me recall what we sing. That

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with the gift of the Holy Spirit, the whole world,

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not just a part of it, but the whole world is

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being brought into the net of God's kingdom.

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This, among other efforts, is the reason We celebrate

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this blending because it is an outreach, an evangelistic

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outreach to others. And finally, an expression

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to those outside of this community of the love

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and concern. of our parish in bringing the world

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into the net of God's kingdom. Amen.