To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Week 2, Day 2 - God's Word Nourishes Us
To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Week 8, Day 5 - Our Legacy Begins with Love, Continues with Teaching, and Ends with Integration
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4–9
This is the Shema, the legacy prayer of the Jewish people. It expresses the first and greatest commandment, reaffirmed by Christ in Mark’s Gospel (cf. 12:30). If we desire to leave a lasting legacy of love upon the earth, we must begin with the love of the immutable, all-powerful, and ever-present Lord of the universe. If we truly allow that love to fill our lives, it will pour out from our hearts into the lives of those around us through our words and actions. It is of primary importance that we pass on to others the Law of Love we have received.
We must share that love through every word we speak and every act of service. God’s love should spill out into our homes as we establish all we do upon the rock that is Christ. In this way our legacy will be grounded in love, actualized by our words and deeds, and integrated into our lives in the glory it returns to God. This powerful love moves in us from first to last, from faith to faith, leading us and future generations to the kingdom of heaven.
Questions for Reflection
How does God’s love spill out from you into the lives of those around you?
Is love the foundation of your home? Where can you show more love to your family and those in your household?
In what specific ways are you passing on the legacy of God’s love to future generations?
Praying with Scripture
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prv 22:6)
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
You can watch and listen to this devotion HERE
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About the Author
Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
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