Fulfillment of the Law of Love: Jesus' Example and our Challenge

Today’’s Gospel, Mt. 5: 17-19,  opens with Jesus  saying to us:  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law…I have come not to abolish but to fulfill….”  In Luke 10:27, a rich young man wants to know what he needs to do to inherit eternal life and Jesus  asks  him:     "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" The rich young man replies:  YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.,"    Jesus replies,   "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

Jesus fulfills the law, loving God the Father with his whole heart, with all his soul and with all his strength and with all his mind and his neighbor as Himself. He fulfills the law and teaches us to do the same.

Am I following Jesus’ footsteps? Do I realize that the reason I am here is to fulfill the law of love, beginning with love of self. If I do not love myself, I am not capable of loving others. “Love your neighbor as yourself,” the commandment says!  If I hate myself, if I disdain myself, if I am agitated with myself, if I put myself down, am not pleased with myself, my self-hatred, self-anger, self-disgust, self-dissatisfaction will be projected on to others. I will relate to others negatively, jealously, enviously. I will not be able to rejoice in others if I am not capable of rejoicing in self.  “Do unto others as you do unto yourself.”  “Love others as you love yourself.”