Today's Reading and some thoughts from the ancient fathers of the faith...

Mark 12:28-44

The Great Commandment

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"

29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

32 And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.

33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'

37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes

38 And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces

39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

The Widow's Offering

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.

42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.

43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

"To love God Truly is to love God with all that you are as body, soul, and spirit." Gregory of Nyssa

Athanasius: Since Go d is one, it is ridiculous to suppose that there could still be another "Lord" of heaven and earth in addition to the Lord who is one. There is simply no room for a second Lord of all if the one true God fills all things in the compass of heaven and earth.