To love our neighbour concretely

And Jesus arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4: 38-44)

Jesus began the mission of proclaiming the Gospel right before His own countrymen. In this way, He put into practice the commandment to love one’s neighbour, that is, everyone who was closest to Him. In God's eyes, loving one's neighbour concretely is more difficult, but also more meritorious than loving those who are distant from us, since it is often abstract and, therefore, much easier. Think of a person you see every day whom you can try to love more than usual today by way of caring gestures or kind words.