In today's readings we find the formula to holiness: (1) 1st Reading - follow the 10 commandments, which outlines all that we should NOT DO; (2) Gospel - provides acts of charity (NO to Apathy!) or things that we should DO; and (3) Psalm - everything we do should be done out of LOVE. The intention spells the difference between substance and form.
In the 1st reading, God calls us to be holy, like Him. Then He proceeds to define "holy" by listing some do's and don'ts, ending each statement with "I am the Lord". I wondered why He kept repeating that sentence (4x!). I realized, it's because the Israelites still did not know Him. If we want to be holy like Him, then we need to know and understand Him first. We can only do this through constant prayer and meditation on His Word.
1st Reading - Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18:
"Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy."
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15:
"Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46:
"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for Me ... Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least one, you did not do for Me ..."
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