Bernard, Abbot, Doctor Obligatory Memorial
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146: 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Alleluia: Psalms 25: 4b, 5a
Gospel: Matthew 22: 34-40
First Reading: Ruth 1: 1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
1 In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.
4 And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years.
5 And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.
6 And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.
14b Orpha kissed her mother in law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law.
15 And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her.
16 She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
22 So Noemi came with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146: 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
5 Blessed is he who hath the God of Jacob for his helper, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
7 Who keepeth truth for ever: who executeth judgment for them that suffer wrong: who giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth them that are fettered:
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
8 The Lord enlighteneth the blind. The Lord lifteth up them that are cast down: the Lord loveth the just.
9a The Lord keepeth the strangers
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
9bc He will support the fatherless and the widow: and the ways of sinners he will destroy.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever: thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
Alleluia: Psalms 25: 4b, 5a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
4b, 5a Teach me your paths, my God, guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 22: 34-40
34 But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together:
35 And one of them, a doctor of the law, asking him, tempting him:
36 Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.
38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.
Reflection
Jesus gathers the whole law into a love that has no divided heart: love of God with our whole being, and love of our neighbor as ourselves. Ruth gives that commandment a human face. She remains with Naomi when the easier path would be to return to her own people, choosing fidelity, shared belonging, and trust in the God of Israel. Her words, “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God,” show that love can become a path of faith.
The psalm reveals the God whom Ruth chooses: the One who gives food to the hungry, protects the stranger, supports the widow, and lifts up those who are cast down. Love of God therefore cannot remain only an inward devotion. It takes shape in the way we stand beside people who are vulnerable, displaced, grieving, or alone. The Alleluia asks God to teach us his paths and guide us in truth. We may begin with something simple and faithful: remaining present, offering practical help, welcoming someone who feels outside, or carrying another’s burden without seeking recognition. In such ordinary acts, love of God becomes visible.
Prayer
Lord God, teach me your paths and guide me in your truth. Give me a heart that belongs wholly to you, free from selfishness and divided desires. Let your love shape the way I see those who are hungry, grieving, foreign, forgotten, or in need of support. Make me faithful in the relationships you place before me, like Ruth was faithful to Naomi. Help me to recognize your care for the vulnerable and to become an instrument of that care through patient presence, generous help, and sincere welcome. May love of you and love of my neighbor direct my choices each day. Amen.
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