“Shema” in the Book of Deuteronomy

My Dear Parishioners,

The first part of the Greatest of Commandments comes from the “Shema” in the Book of Deuteronomy and is our first reading this weekend.

The Book of Deuteronomy is Moses’s final instruction to the Jewish people as he prepared for his death, and the nation prepared their entrance into the Promised Land.

The “Shema” is the daily prayer of all faithful Jewish people: Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. (Dt: 6: 4-9)

The title comes from the first word of the prayer in Hebrew: Shema. Shema is the command HEAR! It is a command to open our hearts and minds to this truth: that there is only one true God and that only true happiness comes from loving the one true God from the Heart.

Besides reciting it daily, many faithful Jewish people still wear phylacteries with the prayer attached and also have the prayer attached to their doorposts. We can say the command to wear the phylacteries and write the command on our doorpost is symbolic that our way of life must be in accord with an interior disposition of love. So, it is not enough to say that we love God, but we must also act like we love God in word and deed.

The Shema comes with both a promise and a warning: If, then, you truly listen to my commandments which I give you today, loving and serving the LORD, your God, with your whole heart and your whole being, I will give the seasonal rain to your land, the early rain and the late rain, that you may have your grain, wine and oil to gather in; and I will bring forth grass in your fields for your animals. Thus you may eat and be satisfied. But be careful lest your heart be so lured away that you serve other gods and bow down to them. For then the anger of the LORD will flare up against you, and he will close up the heavens, so that no rain will fall, and the soil will not yield its crops, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Therefore, take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them on your arm as a sign, and let them be as a pendant on your forehead (Dt 11: 13-18).

The promise and the warning are still in effect today. Jesus still commands us to Love the Lord Our God with all of our heart, our mind, and our strength. In other words, He commands us to make the practice of our Faith a priority, the number one priority!

The gifts of early and late rains and grain and wine and oil and grass for our animals are also still true. These gifts are symbolic of the Sacraments which rain down Grace from Heaven, Grace that gives Divine Life. We allow Jesus to water us with His Grace as we practice our Faith and faithfully receive the Sacraments.

Simply, those who live the Greatest of Commandments are those who make the practice of their Faith a priority. This, in turn, allows Jesus to fill their hearts with Heavenly Grace.

Conversely, those who fail to live the Greatest of Commandments are those who fail to make the practice of their Faith a priority. Sadly, they then deprive themselves of those helps for Heaven.

As for love of neighbor, we know that we are truly loving our neighbor when we are encouraging them to make Sunday Mass and the reception of the Sacraments a priority– and then help them to do so.

I wish to thank all who supported last weekend’s food drive and the baby bottle drive. Many people have been helped through your generosity.

This Thursday, November 7, we welcome Kathleen McCarthy to our parish. She is in love with the Lord and in love with the Most Holy Eucharist. She will be speaking with us specifically on her love for the Most Holy Eucharist. Her talk will be in the context of a Eucharistic Holy Hour and will end with Benediction.

Coming up we will have our Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, December 8, and our Christmas Concert on Friday, December 13. Please watch the bulletin for details.

As we pray for the Poor Souls this month, we must not forget that they can pray for us:

O holy souls in Purgatory, thou art the certain heirs of Heaven. Thou art most dear to Jesus, as the trophies of His Precious Blood, and to Mary, Mother of Mercy. Obtain for me, through thy intercession, the grace to lead a holy life, to die a happy death, and to attain to the blessedness of eternity in Heaven.

Dear suffering souls, who long to be delivered in order to praise and glorify God in Heaven, by thy unfailing pity, help me in the needs which distress me at this time, particularly (here mention your request), so that I may obtain relief and assistance from God.

In gratitude for thy intercession, I offer to God on thy behalf the satisfactory merits of my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day (week, month, or whatever space of time you wish to designate.) Amen.

St. Joseph, Patron of Departing Souls, and our Patron, pray for us!

Fr. Michael J. Pawelko, Pastor