Wednesday, June 1, 2016

9th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 02-06-16

2 Tim 2:8-15 / Mark 12:28-34

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a medical term that is characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that leads to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). It's also possible to have only obsessions or only compulsions and still have OCD.

OCD causes severe anxiety in those affected. OCD involves both obsessions and compulsions that take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities of the person.

That being said and not wishing to go into the details, it can also be casually said that we have a bit of obsession and a bit of compulsion in our lives, although it is not that serious enough to require medical attention.

Especially those negative aspects like anger and resentment that drain away our time and energy. We still can function normally but it would be gloomy with dark clouds hovering over us.

Still, we can break away from this negative obsession and compulsion by turning to the teaching that Jesus gave in reply to question about the commandments:

"This is the first: Listen Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

So it is obvious that the way out of anger and resentment is to love. And Jesus states it clearly: to love God and neighbour with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and with all our strength.

It is not an obsession or compulsion but rather a total immersion into the depth of love, and it is God that loved us first and hence the love is there for us.

So let us not chain up this love with our negative obsessions and compulsions. Jesus is calling us to immerse all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all into His love.

Yes, it is possible to be a person of love. We only need to immerse all of ourselves into the love of Jesus.