Overview:

The Memorial of St. Dominic, by Eric Gregory

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Dominic, priest

“This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart,
that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,”

“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.”

Find today’s readings here.

When I graduated from the Jesuit School of Theology in 2020 I announced to my wife, in a moment of brilliant introspection, “You know, it all comes down to five words. Love God. Love your neighbor.” She gave me a funny look. “Really?” she replied. “I learned that in kindergarten. How long did you study theology?” I never claimed to be a brilliant theologian. Love God. Love your neighbor. Why do we make life more complicated than that?

Today’s readings offer us both a reminder and an invitation. A reminder of God’s covenant and an invitation to participate fully in that covenant. Why do we continue to allow political polarization, economic interests and ideology to come before our obligations to our neighbor? Tribalism, party affiliation, even religion have a way of getting between us and God. The zero-sum game that has become our national discourse, incubated in echo-chambers, refuses to allow compromise. It continually demands the perfect to be the enemy of the good. I win only when you lose.

Today’s first reading is from Deuteronomy, the “second law.” Moses is delivering his farewell. The Hebrew people are in Moab, east of the Jordan River, and will soon cross into the promised land. But Moses will not go with them. He reminds the people of how it came to pass that they were delivered by God. “For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power.”

We are reminded, as Moses reminded the Hebrew people, that “God created man upon the earth…Did anything so great ever happen before?” God created the universe out of God’s abundant love. And because we are God’s beloved we each possess inherent dignity. We are all worthy of God’s love and the love and mercy of each other. The expression of our human dignity can be found enshrined in our nation’s founding documents and embraced fully in Catholic social teaching.

Every now and then it is good to be reminded of where we come from, both as Catholics and Americans. We do well to be reminded of our origins and invited again to embrace our core values through benevolent treatment of others, especially the weakest and most vulnerable. Our Judeo-Christian heritage stems from the covenant God made with Abraham. God is our God; we are God’s people. I find it is interesting to note that in the verse immediately preceding this reading Moses reminds the people that God is merciful and will not abandon his people. A reminder, not a threat.

As he often does in Scripture, Jesus carries on the role once filled by Moses, as leader and teacher. He is God’s revelation to humanity. Both Moses and Jesus are nearing the end of their earthly lives. Moses, on the plain of Moab, and Jesus sharing with Peter the first prediction of his Passion. What does one say to their beloved when death is near? Neither Moses nor Jesus wastes the opportunity. Love God. Love your neighbor. 

The God of the Old Testament prophets—Amos, Micah and Jeremiah—was an all-powerful, sometimes vengeful God, capable of instilling fear in the hearts of men and women. Moses’ reminder comes with a command. “You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today.” There is no wiggle room. The message of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, was a similar reminder of God’s power and wrath: Judgement is coming. Straighten up before it is too late. 

But Jesus shifts the narrative and offers instead: Salvation is here. John’s message, like that of the Old Testament prophets, was a reminder: no false gods before me. Jesus offers an invitation. Come, sit, eat, drink, be welcome. Yes, it also carries an obligation. Share what you have, care about those less fortunate, welcome the stranger. Each will be repaid “according to his conduct.” But knowing Jesus as a friend, knowing Jesus as we find him in the gospels, gives us the comfort to accept the Good News for what it is, Good News. The message Jesus offers is one of reward, not condemnation.

At the end of the day we are left with a reminder and an invitation. Love God. Love your neighbor. This seems especially true in these challenging times, when the visitors among us are not made to feel welcome. When the most vulnerable in our society, those already living on the edge of calamity, find the rug about to be pulled from under their feet.  We need to be reminded of God’s power and love for us, and to accept the invitation to share that love with others. Love God. Love your neighbor. It is that easy.

Eric Gregory is on the Religious Studies faculty at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a graduate of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.