'When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.'

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. – St Paul

Scripture Text: (ROM 13:8-10)
Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill;
you shall not steal;
you shall not covet,
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Let us face the fact that total commitment is not part of our culture currently. We simply have lost the meaning of that concept and need to strive to recover it.

We change jobs frequently, we move from one place to another rather often (and often enough across long distances), and few of us can look back at a family home that we have had for generations and can still call ours. Marriage is only temporary for too many of our brothers and sisters, and among the young, sex is so casual and uncommitted that often enough the two don’t even know each other’s names. Change is a constant in our lives on many levels, if not most of them.

The Lord asks us to commit ourselves to him fully, and many of us try to do so, but none of us is able to reach the absolute commitment of Mary. If we really do put ourselves out, however, as prudently and wisely as today’s readings at Mass suggest, the Three Persons of the Trinity will each work to support us and we will win through, but we need to pay attention, to truly discern just what God is asking and how serious we are.

God is waiting for our decision, which is absolutely necessary, and if we stand in fear we need to remember that Christ also says “Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light“(Matthew 11:29).

So what demands is He asking of me in particular? And what is my response?