Practicing Love
Untermyer Park and Gardens, North Broadway, Yonkers, NY
Monday’s Verse:
From Matthew 23:39 ESV
(Jesus said) “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
I’ve mentioned it in sermons more times than I care to admit, but I truly do love my old hometown of Yonkers, New York. It was there that I learned the importance of community, service, and caring for others. This message was not only imparted by my late pastor, Rev. F. William Wild, from the pulpit at Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on 44 Hudson Street (the church was later redeveloped into a luxury apartment building). My parents, Antonio and Wendy Iovine, regularly gave me this message. My teachers in the public schools I attended also taught it impactfully.
Treat everyone like you would like to be treated.
Building on these early lessons, this Christian message of loving your neighbors, including those who hate you, turns our hearts from anger and unhappiness to joy. This is what our Lord Jesus focused on throughout His ministry: showing others what it means to be one in the family of the Almighty. The goal of extending God’s Kingdom on earth doesn’t come from fancy church sermon series, but is directed by our Lord in our lives every day.
When we see someone dealing with challenges in their lives, we step up to help. One could be dealing with horrific diseases, like cancer, or even just a cold. Believers in Jesus don’t ignore them. We do what we can to help. For the food-insecure, each of us donates to a local food pantry. For the homeless, we sometimes give a few bucks or support groups that help them find places to live. For those saddened by a loss or a hurt, we offer a shoulder to cry on and an arm to steady them.
Ultimately, the words of Jesus in Saint Matthew’s Gospel are not just a commandment; they are what we Christians do. Practice it today.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Almighty Lord, as I go into my new week, drive my heart to show love to others. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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