MEMORIAL ST PIUS X, FRIDAY OF THE TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, AUGUST 21, 2026
- Olivia M. Bannan
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Gospel
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
REFLECTION
tested him by asking
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
In school, the dreaded day of test taking always would have these three elements. Pick up your number 2 pencils, concentrate on the test, and good luck.!!
So why was it necessary to test then and why now? Testing is a normal part of everyday life. We test things because we want to know whether they are reliable, safe, and trustworthy. We are tested to see if we understood that which was taught and can advance to the next level. Testing requires our attention, our brain and our knowledge to all work together.
There are batteries on a smoke detector to be tested, microphone is checked before starting a presentation, baby formula on hand to be sure we are not feeding the baby hot formula, we test a new recipe before serving our guests, etc, etc.
Why were the Pharisees testing Jesus by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Were they checking if Jesus was trustworthy, reliable or safe? Or was it entrapment? Would He be caught going against all their rules?
The Pharisees were so focused on rules, obligations and religious practices that they had forgotten the purpose behind them. They had added so many rules and regulations that people had forgotten about God and His love for them. Jesus reminds us that our faith is not measured by how many rules we know but by how deeply we love.
St Pius X reminds us that loving God is a choice expressed through prayer, participation in Holy Mass and reception of the Holy Eucharist, obedience to His commandments and charity towards others. Place Him at the center of our lives, receive Him frequently for our spiritual nourishment and love with our whole heart God and others as ourselves.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Deuteronomy 6:5).
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
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