“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
My father served valiantly in the South Pacific during World War II. He was part of what the journalist, Tom Brokaw, called ‘the greatest generation.’ Since he enlisted in the Army in his late 20’s, the younger guys referred to him affectionately as ‘pops.’ Like so many veterans who served in this war, he rarely if ever spoke about his experiences when he came home. However, his family got glimpses of what undoubtedly were unspeakably painful moments that he witnessed and endured: the death of friends, the horrendous slaughter of innocent civilians who are the inevitable causalities of conflict and the loneliness of being away from his new wife and daughter (I didn’t come along until after the war!). Dad suffered these memories silently and courageously as so many veterans in wars and conflicts after him.
Why did he endure all of this? Was he a sucker for punishment? Was he a loser who couldn’t get gainful and lucrative employment and so decided to join the military? Absolutely not! The bombing of Pearl Harbor touched a passion in my Dad’s heart, motivating him to a patriotism embodied in the beautiful passage from the second reading for today’s lessons taken from Paul letter to the Romans: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
For persons of integrity and character, selfless service of their sisters and brothers, has been and will always be the hallmark of personal greatness. We see it in the military men and women of today who are willing to see service to their country as the guiding NorthStar defining their deepest and truest identity. We see it in the medical personnel, the doctors and nurses, the support staff in hospitals who have endured the hours and hours of selfless care and their own exposure to Covid 19 during the horrendous pandemic, all this for their patients. We see it in the folks who staff our super markets, who deliver our mail and packages, who continue to serve as peace officers on our streets and cities.
Yes, the hallmark of persons of greatness and characters of integrity will always be centered around the simple yet challenge call to love. Love without expecting the cost. Love from the heart with compassion. Love that is truly ‘the fulfillment of the law.’