Monday, February 18, 2013

Daily Mass Homily: Monday, February 18th, 2013


           If the books of the Bible were kids on a playground picking teams for a game of kickball, I suspect Leviticus would be chosen last.  Leviticus, with his many strange rules—you can eat a grasshopper but not flies, cannot boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk—and lists, would probably remain sad and alone on the sideline.
            In our spiritual lives, there is a time and a place to pick and choose what Scriptures on which we meditate.  Yet it would be unwise to overlook completely books that at first seem boring or irrelevant.
            We heard two of the most important verses in the entire Bible from Leviticus this morning.  First, “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.”  The entire Law was given to the Israelites so they would be set apart from other nations.  They were not to follow the corrupt practices of others, but to strive for holiness by following God’s ordinances.
            Second, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  That’s right—the greatest commandment—the Golden Rule—comes not from the Gospels but from Leviticus.
            As we continue our Lenten journey in prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we pray for the grace to be holy as God is holy.  We strive to love our neighbor as ourselves.  And we praise God for these great teachings which come from what may first seem to be a boring book.

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