I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.--Psalm 81:(see 11 and 9)
Mass readings: Hosea 14:2-10 / Mark 12:28-34
Years ago, when friends of ours returned from serving as missionaries to Liberia, I asked what they had missed the most while away. Missy answered, ''Target. I missed having one place to shop for everything.'' Later, I was standing at the checkout in the grocery store, thinking about this, and inadvertently made my check out to Target! As I left the store, laughing at myself for ''being someplace else,'' I passed the little in-store bank, which posted this sign: ''Finally you can be in two places at once!''
The scribe in today's Gospel reading affirms that God is One. True worship requires the integration of our being, wholly loving One God, in our hearts, in our understanding and in our strength. If we wish to be near the Kingdom, we can't be ''someplace else''!
Prayer: One true God, enable us to love You with all of our being!