Sunday, November 3, 2024 – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
Fr. Drew Hoffman
Deuteronomy 6:2-6 + Hebrews 7:23-28 + Mark 12:28-34
While the Gloria is one of the most beautiful and moving moments of Holy Mass, it’s also one of the most underappreciated and unnoticed. People are often still arriving as the ancient hymn is sung, and, even if they’re on time, it becomes a period of glazed looks and crossed arms. We’re all guilty of this, priest and laity alike! It is why I like to present phrases from the Gloria for meditation from time to time, hoping it might wake us from our daze and draw us back into prayer and contemplation.
One particular line is worthy of meditation along with this weekend’s readings. Toward the end of the Gloria, we hear the word “Alone” three times: “You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ.” Perhaps we take those lines for granted, but the truth is, they are fighting words! For the ancients, they were fighting words against the oppressive Roman Emperor. Caesar was not the Lord or the Most High, only Jesus Christ was their King! To this day, the words are our fighting words against ever encroaching domination of secularism and consumerism. The Lord Jesus ALONE is our King.
This truth has roots in our tremendous First Reading, in which Moses presents the people with the beautiful “Shema,” the ancient prayer of Israelite belief. In a world filled with a pantheon of pagan gods, the Israelites could listen and hear the Good News that their God was God Alone. These were fighting words for the ancient Israelites as they navigated life amongst oppressive regimes and enticing philosophies. The temptation was so great that the Lord enjoined them to keep these words physically close, leading them to keeping portions of the verse attached to their doorways or strapped on their arms or foreheads. If God is God alone, then he deserved ALL our heart, soul, mind, and understanding. It cannot and should not be split between a variety of Gods, Caesars, and priorities.
Jesus doubles down on this ancient challenge in our Gospel, telling us that loving the Lord with all your heart, understanding, and strength is the greatest of the commandments. While this may seem obvious, our lives show us that it is not. We may no longer be tempted by pagan gods and all-powerful Caesars… although that world is not as absent as we may like to believe… but we certainly place a plethora of things in front of the one and only King. Whether it is sports, money, success, or fame, we have our own idols and pagan gods that garner our attention and focus. Paganism or emperor worship may not be the rule of the day as it was for our forefathers, but we find a variety of golden calves to place before the Holy One, and it is the primary reason for our sadness and isolation. The Lord has been clear about our path to happiness and holiness: follow Me with your whole heart, soul, mind, and understanding. Yet I am shocked when I am sad and alone after I’ve put countless things in front of Him!
This Sunday at Mass, I hope that the fighting words of the Gloria wake you up and bring you back to attention! What have I placed before the Lord? What has taken my attention, focus and energy? Where am I giving the Lord a small portion of my heart and other priorities the rest? May the words of the Gloria remind me that there is only one God and Lord, and my life makes sense only to the degree I devote all my mind, heart, soul, and understanding to Him.