Pope: Love is the most important commandment

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The guiding principle of love extolled by Jesus cuts through confusion around how to uphold God's commandments to humanity, Pope Francis said.

Reflecting Nov. 3 on the day's Gospel reading from St. Mark in which Jesus responds to the question, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" the pope said, "Jesus gives us the answer, putting together two commandments that are the primary ones: the love of God and the love of neighbor."

"This is the heart of our faith," he said before praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter's Square. "Jesus tells us that the source of everything is love, that we must never separate God from man."

Like the Jews of Jesus' time who sought truth through discussion and debate of religious teaching, "we too at times feel lost among so many things," he said. Yet, attempting to bring into focus the fundamental teachings of God's commandments to humanity "is essential for us, too, for our life and for the journey of our faith."

In one's faith journey, Jesus teaches that "what counts are not exterior practices, such as burnt offerings and sacrifices, but the readiness of heart with which you open yourself to God and to others in love," Pope Francis said.

People do many things in the name of faith, but to do them "only for ourselves and without love," he said, "this will not do; we do them with a distracted heart or even with a closed heart, and this will not do. All things must be done with love."

Pope Francis urged Christians to "fix in our hearts the most important commandment," namely, "love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself."

He also encouraged people to conduct an examination of conscience each day and to reflect on whether love of God and neighbor remains at the center of their lives.

After praying the Angelus, the pope asked visitors gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and South Sudan.

"May war be banished and issues be addressed through law and negotiations," he said. "Let weapons be silenced and space be made for dialogue."

The pope also prayed for people affected by flash flooding in Valencia, Spain, where more than 200 people were killed amid torrential rainfall and mudslides.