30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” as it says in today’s Gospel. When you throw a stone into a calm pond, you see small ripples. Those small ripples gradually spread into larger ones. Love for our neighbors is the same. We must prioritize spreading happiness and joy directly to the people right in front of us, those around us, and those closest to us. It will spread like ripples.

There is an ironic saying: “It is easier to love humanity than to love one’s neighbor.” In fact, we often get so caught up in big things that we tend to overlook the small ones. But in reality, it is the small things that are practical and that truly resonate with people’s hearts.

Those who do not cherish the people around them or those closest to them cannot be trusted, no matter how noble their proclamations may be. Therefore, I don’t think the “people” in the phrase “for the sake of others” need to include broad concepts like “everyone” or “society.” It starts with family, and then neighbors. We should bring joy to those around us, be of service to those close to us, and see their smiles. That’s where we should begin.

Love for others is a bridge to peace. The more we give, the more our hearts are filled with light. A giving hand is warmer than a receiving hand. And when a receiving hand becomes a giving hand, from that moment on, that hand becomes the hand of God. The hand of God does nothing but give, give, and give. What about our hands?

Compassion depends not only on who we know, but on how we treat every soul we encounter. Love for others is a universal language that requires no translation; it requires only sincerity of heart. Love for others is not merely an emotion; it is concrete action that involves mutual respect and strengthens the bonds of human relationships.

The most beautiful and sacred religion is love. And must one absolutely be a Christian to live according to this sublime teaching? Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and even those without a religious affiliation can live with pure love. A religion without love is no longer a religion, but merely a gathering.

St. Paul says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (see 1 Corinthians 13:1–2). Isn’t St. Paul trying to tell us that “love is the greatest commandment”?

St. Joseph Freinademetz, the first missionary of the Society of the Divine Word, said, “The language that everyone in the world can understand is love.” Isn’t this saint trying to tell us that even if we cannot speak a foreign language well, as long as we have love, we can convey everything we wish to express?

We were not born to be apart from one another, but to complement one another in different ways. The small acts of kindness we perform every day can sometimes become a great light in dark times. Let us embark on this week’s journey, mindful that respecting others is the first step toward a peaceful world.