Words to live by

Those of you who have seen the movie Schindler’s List may recall the scene where the Jewish families were being forced from their homes. The last shot of that scene is of a family removing a small object nailed to the door of their family home. That object was a Mezuzah, a small case containing a piece of parchment on which is inscribed the Shema Yisrael, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy: “Listen, Israel, the LORD our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.”

The Shema is the centre of the lives of God’s Chosen People. It states who God is – the one LORD, and who God is for his people – the God who loves. A faithful Jew will recite it twice daily, morning and evening; it is taught to children as their nightly prayer; and it is affixed to the doorway of their homes in the mezuzah. A Jewish family will affix it to their doorway when they take residence, and remove it as they leave, carrying with them wherever they go the most precious words of God to his People: Hear, O Israel: the LORD alone is God, whom you are to love.

In the form of a commandment, the Shema is very special. It defines the relationship of God with his people, and it rules the living of those faithful to the one LORD. It marks out the most important relationship they are to have in life, shaping their minds, hearts and actions. In the form of a blessing, the Shema is a gift to be carried in their lives, directing their footsteps and assuring their identity. The one faithful to God is bound to the Shema, and it to them, as God bound himself forever to his people.

Jesus lived by the Shema; it was at the heart of his life and prayer. Therefore, we who are faithful to Jesus are similarly bound to it. It is the first of all the commandments, as Jesus said. To love the LORD our God, and to love our neighbour as ourselves, sums up all that had been taught in the Law and by the Prophets. It is the commandment that precedes all others, and determines all others – love of God and neighbour. It is at the heart of God’s relationship with us. This is our calling as Christians, just as it is the calling of our elder sisters and brothers, God’s chosen People. To live by this commandment, to shape our thoughts and words and deeds according to it, is to come close to God’s kingdom.

Not only did Jesus live by the Shema, he lived the Shema; it was his very life. Jesus loved his Father and neighbour to the end, for His love was given entirely on the cross. Jesus never lost his priesthood – his mediating and sacrificial love – so it remains for us to participate in. As the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews put it: “[Christ] is living for ever to intercede for all who come to God through him.” Remember: it is this priesthood that we all share in, the priesthood of baptism. So, let us make the Shema the commandment by which we live. How? Let me offer a few very simple practices that can make all the difference.

When you make the sign of the cross, do it with intention, not just perfunctorily, naming the one God who is the Blessed Trinity. When you genuflect coming into the church or going out, genuflect with reverent attention to God hidden in the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle. Have a crucifix prominently displayed in your homes, and point it out to your friends and neighbours when they come in. Bless your children and grandchildren when they go to bed. Be priestly in your actions in the family. And bless the food you place on the table. Be grateful for that which is given to us. And repeat the words of the Shema to remind yourselves of the relationship God has with you:

Hear, O Israel (for you are Israel): the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength… [and] you must love your neighbour as yourself.

Feature image: A Mezuzah, a constant reminder of God’s presence