In our society that offers us so many options from aisles of cereal choices to 200 cable TV channels to a variety of cell phone colors, it is only natural that we grow secure in the mindset that we can pick and choose.  We do comparative price shopping and we have grown accustomed to an environment where even billboards are constantly changing.  Rationalizing our choices has become part of the very fabric of our lives.

Today's Gospel from St. Matthew reminds us that once we choose to commit ourselves to following Jesus, we invest ourselves in the totality of His teachings. We can no longer pick and choose which of His teachings we will embrace. When He says "Love one another as I have loved you," it is not for us to choose which "others" we will love. We are to show no partiality or favoritism, no discrimination or prejudice.  In fact, Jesus is very emphatic about our call to love and care for everyone, especially the least:

"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Mt 25: 40).

Not only are we called to love the least one, but Jesus goes so far as to use our love for the least as an indicator of just how much we love Him. Someone once reminded me that in receiving Holy Communion, I say "Amen, I believe" in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist to the same degree that I can say "Amen, I believe" in the presence of Jesus in the person I love the least.

Who is the "least one" Jesus is inviting me to love today?