In the Spirit of the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Commemoration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In the liturgy of the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Church places before us the profound call to unity and love in the readings from Ephesians 4:1-6 and Matthew 22:34-46. These passages, rich with theological depth, illuminate the essential foundations of Christian life: humility, love, and the unity of faith, all centered on Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-6 – “Walk Worthy of Your Calling”
St. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, exhorts them to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph 4:1). This calling is not merely a personal or individual vocation but a summons to a shared life in the Church. As the Apostle writes, we are called to bear with one another “in love,” maintaining “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (v. 3).
The Fathers of the Church frequently reflect on the profound implications of this unity. St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Ephesians, emphasizes that Christian unity is built on humility:
“The bond which is to hold together the members of Christ’s body is humility. Without it, no peace or harmony is possible.” Chrysostom warns that pride breeds division, but humility, meekness, and patience nurture the Church as a living Body united in Christ. Thus, our calling to unity is deeply tied to the virtue of humility, a theme the Church echoes again and again in her liturgy.
St. Augustine, too, saw this unity as a participation in the very life of God. He teaches that true unity is found in love:
“Where there is charity and love, there is unity, for God Himself is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him.” For Augustine, the unity St. Paul speaks of reflects the inner life of the Trinity, where distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are one in divine love. To live this unity, Christians must strive to reflect that same divine charity in their relations with one another.
Matthew 22:34-46 – The Greatest Commandment
In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees, who seek to test Him with the question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matt 22:36). Christ responds with the well-known command to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and then to love one’s neighbor as oneself. These two commandments, Jesus says, summarize “the whole Law and the Prophets” (v. 40).
The Fathers see in this passage the fulfillment of the entire moral and spiritual life. St. Jerome remarks that the Pharisees asked this question not out of a desire for truth, but to trap Christ in a theological dilemma. Yet, in His wisdom, Christ elevates the conversation to reveal the heart of the Law. Jerome writes,
“Christ did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it by showing that love is the essence of every commandment.” The first commandment orders our hearts toward God, while the second orders us toward our neighbor, completing the divine law of love.
St. Gregory the Great, reflecting on this passage, teaches that love of neighbor cannot be separated from love of God. He says,
“The proof of love for God is found in the love we show for our neighbor. For how can one claim to love the unseen God if he does not love his visible brother?” This is a reminder that Christian love is not theoretical but practical—it finds its expression in acts of charity, patience, and forgiveness toward others.
The Blessed Virgin Mary – Model of Perfect Love and Sorrow
As we commemorate the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this day, the Gospel’s call to love resonates even more profoundly. Our Lady is the perfect example of one who lived out the greatest commandment in its fullness. She loved God with her entire being, submitting herself completely to His will with the words, “Be it done unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38). She also loved her neighbor perfectly, as seen in her attentive care for Jesus at the foot of the Cross and her deep compassion for all humanity.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary—Simeon’s prophecy, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the taking down of His Body, and His burial—show her intimate participation in Christ’s suffering. St. Bernard of Clairvaux speaks movingly of how the sword of sorrow prophesied by Simeon pierced not only her heart but her entire being. Yet, in these sorrows, Mary exemplifies perfect love, uniting herself with her Son’s mission to redeem the world. St. Bernard wrote,
“The martyrdom of the Virgin is set before us both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual Passion of our Lord. For what greater pain could there be than to see her Son, who was so loved, crucified?” Mary’s sorrows were born out of her love for Christ and for us, and thus she becomes for us a model of how to suffer with love, uniting our pain to the redemptive suffering of Christ.
Conclusion – Living Out the Greatest Commandment
As we meditate on today’s readings in the light