Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 12:28b-34
Making the Word become flesh in our lives

In today’s Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the most important. Jesus answers by citing the “Shema” from Deuteronomy 6, to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and adds, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Pope Francis reflects on this dialogue, particularly noting how the scribe repeated Jesus’ words. Pope Francis suggests this repetition teaches us something vital: the Word of God is not just information to be heard but a message to be repeated, internalised, and lived.

The pope uses a powerful analogy, explaining that the Word of God must be “ruminated”—chewed over and over until it becomes part of us. This is not merely about understanding the words but allowing them to transform our hearts. Jesus invites us to engage with God’s Word so deeply that it begins to echo within us, shaping our actions, thoughts, and relationships.

In one of his homilies, the pope said, “The Lord is not so much looking for skilled Scripture commentators. Instead, he is looking for docile hearts which, welcoming his Word, allow themselves to be changed inside. This is why it is so important to be familiar with the Gospel, to always have it at hand – even a pocket-size Gospel in our pockets, in our purses to read and reread, to be passionate about it. When we do this, Jesus, the Word of the Father, enters into our hearts, he becomes intimate with us and we bear fruit in Him,” says the pope.

This requires us to constantly engage with the Gospel, reading and rereading it so that it resonates in our conscience and directs our daily actions. The command to love God and neighbour must be more than theoretical; it needs to orient our entire lives. Are we loving God with all we are? Are we doing good for our neighbours? We need to become living translations of God’s love, making His Word flesh in our actions, just as Mary did.

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