What is Religion?
We often ask people the question: “What is most important in life?” Various things come to mind: family, faith, love, peace of mind, financial security and so on.
In the Gospel today, Jesus was asked a similar question. His most important word is “love” –anything in the religious tradition of the time is secondary to the love of God and the love of neighbour.
True religion is just that: it shows particularly when people care for the needy. Jesus’ heart went out mostly to the needy in his own time, especially to groups who were marginalized.
The same is true today. Jesus is on the side of the needy and the poor and is also on our side when we are in need. This is the Christian community’s raison d’être – to be bearers of love in our world. We should show love to those in greatest need, just as Jesus did.
So, maybe in Ireland, we are much more religious than people may realize. When we love, we are religious in the name of Jesus.
We pray:” Lord, help us to be religious today. Amen.”
“Each of us can learn something from others. No one is useless and no one is expendable. This also means finding ways to include those on the peripheries of life. For they have another way of looking at things; they see aspects of reality that are invisible to the centres of power where weighty decisions are made.” (Fratelli Tutti, 215)
Ronan Barry
