The turn of the liturgical year into its “home stretch” is a turn toward a focus on the Last Things – heaven, hell, death, and judgment. As we move into the 30th Week of Ordinary Time, this theme will become more and more apparent. In fact, already in the collect prayer and the Gospel we see themes that, though maybe not at first sight, draw us into the dynamic of our eternal goal and the direction of our life toward God. The collect prayer this week is particularly interesting. It is a collect that has its roots in the sixth century and whose liturgical use has changed throughout the centuries. One author proposes (with convincing evidence) that its first use was for the Mass that concluded a fast that prepared Christians for Christmas, marking the movement out of preparation into feasting. The text of the prayer itself for this week is: “Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope, and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise.” The essential presentation of the petitions of this prayer – namely, the request for an increase in faith, hope, and charity (the three theological virtues) and a love for what God commands – is for the sake of meriting what God promises. Thus, we are directed to the whole point of the Christian life, which for anyone who remembers the Baltimore Catechism, can be summarized in its succinct presentation in question 6: Q. Why did God make you? A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven. The growth in these three virtues and love of God’s commandments is not primarily directed to an earthly achievement but to the heavenly goal. This is where the Gospel’s focus on faith and sight is helpful. The faith of Bartimaeus allows him to see a deeper truth – that the son of David (the Messiah) has come to him. Thus, his lack of earthly sight is contrasted to his possession of heavenly vision. And it is only in the context of this correct vision that Jesus heals him: “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” Thus, the tension of this life and the next are pulled into view. We desire to grow in relationship with the Lord – not for some earthly reward or goal but for the heavenly reality. In that reality, faith and hope fade in the face of our vision – but love remains. I find it interesting, then, that the collect of this Sunday prays for an increase in faith, hope, and love while at the same time praying for love of God’s commands – so that we may merit the Father’s promises. The ancient context of this prayer can also draw us into a deeper reflection. If it was indeed first used in the context of the end of a fast, then the prayer for an increase in the theo logical virtues makes sense – fasting in the spirit of prayer generally has that effect (at least we should strive for that in our practices of fasting). Of course, what isn’t clear is exactly what the reference to “what you command” is trying to say – is it a preparatory soberness, the fasting itself, the moral law? We would need to be looking at the ancient prayer itself in context. However, since it is now used for a Sunday of Ordinary Time, the love of God’s commands has a slightly different context. In the richness of the last several weeks of the Gospels at Sunday Mass, we have been challenged deeply. Beginning with the Bread of Life discourse at the end of the summer and moving into Jesus’ teaching on adultery and His call to perfection in following His moral law and then perfection in relationship with Him, there remains little question as to what God’s commands are – He has made them clear. But to hear the Lord’s commands is not the same thing as to love the Lord’s commands. Therein lies the challenge. And therein lies the need for growth in faith, hope, and charity. We can, of course, recall St. Paul’s encouragement using an image of these three virtues in the First Letter to the Thessalonians (5:8-11): “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” In His living word proclaimed in the Church’s Liturgy, God makes known His life-giving commands – commands that reveal to us who we really are and what we are meant to be. Maybe we have been challenged by them this year: to eat the flesh of the Son of Man, to recognize the indissolubility of marriage, to follow the Ten Commandments, and to not allow our hearts to be fixed on things of this world (just to name a few). The collect for this week reminds us that if we are going to grow in relationship with the Trinity, we must pray for the strength – through the virtues He Himself gives – to not just accept His commands but to learn to love them. In that way, we learn to live the love of God in this world so we can be happy with Him in the next. Father Mark Hellinger is parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Fort Wayne. The post We Must Not Only Accept God’s Commands, We Must Love Them appeared first on Today's Catholic.