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Thursday, June 2, 2016

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Sts. Marcellinus & Peter


2 Timothy 2:8-15
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Mark 12:28-34

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"stop, in the name of love"

"You shall love the Lord your God with all..." —Mark 12:30

Think about your relationship with the person you love the most. It's one thing to say: "I love you." It's quite another thing to put everything aside and demonstrate your love for them by devoting your full attention to them for a long period of time.

Married couples are often so busy that they are relegated to sharing a quick "I love you" as they pass each other in the garage. Occasionally, one of the spouses may say: "Time out! Stop! Enough is enough. We're canceling soccer and spending the night together for once." Time spent together enables love to grow.

Does this busy-ness also describe your relationship with God? Jesus tells us in today's Gospel that nothing is more important than loving God with your all (Mk 12:30). It's less important to spend five minutes reading this teaching than it is to spend those five minutes loving God. So, talk to Him; share your worries and joys with Him. Stop right now and start loving God with your all.

Prayer:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I love You totally. I love You to the end of my days. I love You with all my life.

Promise:  "If we have died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we hold out to the end we shall also reign with Him." —2 Tm 2:11-12

Praise:  The story of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter's martyrdoms comes from their executioner, who became Christian after seeing their courage in dying for Jesus.

Reference:  (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(Love Jesus more by reading the Bible daily. For encouragement, order, listen to or download any or all of these media: Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ, CD 82-1, How to Pray the Bible, CD 82-3, How to Read the Bible, CD 46-3, Principles of Bible Interpretation, CD 79-1.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 20, 2016

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