Episode 2630: The Greatest Command and the Greatest Gift

Welcome to CR, where we examine the Catholic faith through the lens of Scripture and Tradition. Today, we’re going to look closely at two of the most significant verses in the Bible one from the Old Testament and one from the New. These verses span nearly 1,500 years, yet both are deeply intertwined, revealing God’s plan for humanity.
For today’s episode, we’ll be reading from the Douay-Rheims Bible, a translation that holds fast to Catholic doctrine, preserving the reverence and integrity of the sacred text.
Our two verses today are Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and John 3:16. Let’s start with Deuteronomy, which says:
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength."
This passage is part of the Shema, a prayer that holds a central place in Jewish worship and faith. Here, God declares His oneness and calls His people to a total, undivided love for Him. This is more than just devotion; it’s a covenantal response. God calls us not to a half-hearted faith but to complete loyalty, love, and obedience.
Let's delve deeply into Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which contains one of the most profound affirmations in all of Scripture. This passage, known as the Shema (from the Hebrew word for "Hear"), has been the bedrock of Jewish and Catholic monotheism and a central part of the faith lives of many saints and theologians throughout history. Here’s an exploration of its meaning and how saints and theologians have interpreted this passage over the centuries.
1. "Hear, O Israel" — The Call to Attention and Obedience
The verse begins with "Hear, O Israel," which serves as both a summons and a command. In the Hebrew tradition, “hear” doesn’t only mean listening; it implies obedience and response. God is not merely asking Israel to acknowledge His words but to take them to heart and act upon them.
St. Thomas Aquinas saw this opening as an invitation to the "obedience of faith." To truly hear, Aquinas said, is to assent fully with both the intellect and the will. In the Summa Theologica, he explains that faith requires an active response not just agreement with God’s existence but a complete surrender to His will. Aquinas would say that hearing signifies a readiness to obey God as one’s ultimate authority, which aligns with the call to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength.
2. "The Lord our God is one Lord" - The Declaration of Monotheism
In declaring “The Lord our God is one Lord,” this passage underscores the truth of monotheism, the belief in one God, which was revolutionary in the polytheistic ancient world. This statement confirms that God is not only singular in number but also unified in essence and nature, transcending any divided or created concept.
St. Augustine explored this oneness in The Confessions, where he speaks of the simplicity of God, meaning that God is one in essence and cannot be divided. Augustine argued that this understanding of God’s oneness leads to a desire for unity in ourselves a unity of will, heart, and mind aligned with God. He interpreted this passage as a call to seek undivided loyalty to God, free from the distractions or idols that fracture our devotion.
St. Athanasius, the great defender of Trinitarian doctrine, highlighted how the oneness of God also points forward to the Trinity. For him, Deuteronomy’s affirmation of God’s oneness prefigured the revelation of the Trinity as one God in three Persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Athanasius argued that understanding the oneness of God allowed early Christians to grasp the nature of the Trinity without compromising the core monotheistic message of Scripture.
3. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart" — Heartfelt Love
To “love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart” is a command to direct our desires and emotions entirely toward God. In ancient Hebrew thought, the heart symbolized not only feelings but also the center of thought and decision-making. This love is not a sentimental or shallow affection but an all-consuming loyalty and desire for God’s goodness.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the great medieval mystic, wrote extensively on the love of God. He saw loving God with the “whole heart” as a call to purify our affections. Bernard taught that this love grows from “servile love” (loving out of duty) to “filial love” (loving as a child) to “bridal love” (a deep, personal union with God). In his Sermons on the Song of Songs, he described this highest form of love as a complete surrender where nothing is withheld from God, mirroring the call in Deuteronomy for total devotion.
St. Teresa of Ávila echoed this interpretation in her writings, especially in The Interior Castle. For Teresa, loving God with one’s whole heart involved a journey through the “mansions” of the soul, where each room represents a deeper stage of surrender. She believed that the Shema encapsulated the spiritual life, calling the soul to deeper intimacy and union with God.
4. "With thy whole soul" — The Call to a Spiritual Offering
In Hebrew, the word “soul” (nephesh) refers to one’s life and essential being. Thus, to love God with one’s whole soul means dedicating all aspects of our existence not only our spiritual selves but also our daily lives, actions, and intentions to Him. This is a call to make one’s very life an offering to God.
St. John Chrysostom, the Golden-Mouthed preacher of the early Church, spoke of this passage as a call to martyrdom of the soul. He encouraged Christians to see their lives as a living sacrifice, mirroring St. Paul’s teaching in Romans 12:1 to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Chrysostom viewed loving God with the whole soul as a willingness to endure all things for God’s glory, whether in life or in death.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises, also drew on this command. He emphasized that loving God with the whole soul involves “indifference,” meaning we should hold no preference for health over sickness, wealth over poverty, or honor over dishonor, if such sacrifices serve the glory of God. For Ignatius, to love God with one’s whole soul means total surrender of one’s plans and desires in order to seek only God’s will.
5. "And with thy whole strength" - The Sacrifice of All We Have
The call to love God with one’s “whole strength” means devoting all of our resources our time, energy, talents, and material goods to God. The saints saw this as the practical application of loving God with heart and soul: it demands concrete action.
St. Francis of Assisi’s life exemplifies this call. By renouncing wealth and taking up a life of radical poverty, Francis showed what it meant to love God with all his strength. He relinquished everything for the sake of following Christ, believing that love for God requires giving our best and highest to Him, even when it means sacrificing comfort or security.
St. Thomas Aquinas also provides insight here. In his Summa Theologica, Aquinas explains that “strength” represents all our capacities, both natural and supernatural. He argued that human strength alone is insufficient for perfect love; it must be infused with grace. Thus, we must cooperate with God’s grace, allowing Him to transform our actions so that they’re directed entirely to His glory. Aquinas taught that loving God with all our strength means using every gift God has given us in service to Him and to our neighbor.
Summary: The Saints’ Interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:4-5
To the saints and Church Fathers, Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is far more than a command; it is a call to a life of holiness. Through the centuries, they’ve seen this command as an invitation to love God in the fullness of who we are, holding back nothing. The saints and theologians interpret the verse as a holistic approach to life, integrating heart, soul, and strength into one single-minded love for God.
St. Thomas Aquinas saw the verse as embodying obedience of faith and the call for undivided devotion to God.
St. Augustine interpreted the verse as the foundation of our pursuit of unity and integrity in love, focusing on God as the one unchanging source of goodness.
St. Bernard and St. Teresa viewed it as a journey to love God in a progressively deeper way, with total dedication.
St. John Chrysostom and St. Ignatius highlighted the sacrificial aspect, encouraging us to make our lives a total offering to God.
St. Francis and St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized loving God with our strength as using every gift in service to Him and others.
In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, we find the entire foundation of our duty to God and the model for perfect charity, a love that desires nothing other than union with God, and from that love, the sacrifice of all that we are. This Old Testament commandment is fulfilled in the New Testament, where Christ, through His sacrifice, becomes the model of loving God with heart, soul, and strength, inviting us to do likewise.
The second verse is one that most listeners will recognize, John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”
This verse encapsulates the heart of the Gospel, the mystery of God’s love for the world, and His plan to save us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In John 3:16, God’s love is on full display, culminating in the Incarnation and the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. If Deuteronomy 6:4-5 reveals the requirement of our love for God, John 3:16 reveals the depth of His love for us.
These two verses span about 1,500 years. For centuries, God prepared His people to understand His oneness, and to love Him entirely. In time, God fulfilled this love by giving everything He had His only Son.
Through Christ’s Incarnation, God’s love takes flesh, giving us the example of complete obedience to God’s will. Here we see Deuteronomy’s command to love God fully is embodied in Christ. He fulfills the call to love God with all His heart, soul, and strength by offering His life as a sacrifice for our sins.
Even more, the oneness of God declared in Deuteronomy sets the stage for understanding the Trinity. God’s unity was the foundation on which the revelation of the Trinity would later stand. When Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), He reveals the fullness of that oneness. The one God is a communion of three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
For the saints and scholars of the Church, these verses have always held special significance. St. Augustine, for example, was deeply moved by both these commands. In The Confessions, he prays to love God with all his heart, soul, and strength. In The City of God, he reflects on the depths of God’s love, which we see fulfilled in the gift of His Son.
John 3:16 is one of the most well-known and cherished verses in all of Scripture, often called “the Gospel in a nutshell.” This verse distills the essence of the Christian faith: God’s love for humanity and His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. The saints and theologians of the Church have reflected deeply on this verse, each one bringing out aspects of God’s love, the mystery of the Incarnation, and the redemptive power of faith. Here, we’ll look closely at the verse itself and the insights of the saints on its meaning and implications.

John 3:16: The Verse
“For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”
This verse, in one line, encapsulates the Christian message. It speaks of the depth of God’s love, the magnitude of His sacrifice, and the promise of eternal life. Let’s break it down by its phrases and see how the saints and theologians interpreted each part.

1. "For God so loved the world" — The Depth of Divine Love
The verse begins with God’s love, which is the foundation of the Gospel message. It emphasizes that God’s love is not restricted to a single nation or people but extends to the entire world, transcending all boundaries.
St. Augustine saw in these words a profound revelation about God’s nature. In his Confessions, he writes about how God’s love is not dependent on anything external but is rooted in God’s own goodness. Augustine was struck by the fact that God could love a world marred by sin, a world that had often turned away from Him. He believed that God’s love was entirely self-giving and undeserved, an act of pure grace. Augustine saw in this phrase the foundation of the Christian’s call to love universally, mirroring God’s love for all creation.
St. Thomas Aquinas echoed this interpretation. He explained that divine love is unique because God’s love does not merely wish well for others but actively brings about their good. Aquinas called this amor benevolentiae, or “love of benevolence,” which means that God loves without any expectation of receiving something in return. God’s love, as Aquinas wrote in the Summa Theologica, is not just affective but effective it has the power to bring about real change and ultimately leads to our salvation.
2. "As to give His only begotten Son" — The Gift of the Incarnation
The phrase “gave His only begotten Son” points directly to the mystery of the Incarnation and the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. This is God’s ultimate act of love: giving what is most precious to Him, His only Son, to redeem humanity.

St. Athanasius considered the Incarnation the “Divine Dilemma,” where God’s justice required a payment for sin, but His mercy desired to save humanity. In On the Incarnation, Athanasius explains that only God’s Son could bridge the infinite gap between God and man. The phrase “only begotten” emphasized for him the unique relationship between the Father and the Son, showing that this was no ordinary sacrifice but a giving of God’s very self.
St. Catherine of Siena was deeply moved by the thought that God would send His own Son as a ransom for sinners. She saw the Incarnation as the “bridge” between Heaven and Earth. In her Dialogues, she writes that God’s love “makes fools” of human logic it seems unreasonable that the infinite God would humble Himself in human form to die for His own creatures. Yet, to Catherine, this “madness” of love is exactly what makes it divine and worthy of reverence.
St. Teresa of Ávila saw this self-giving as the standard of love that Christians are called to imitate. For Teresa, God’s willingness to give His only Son was a model of complete surrender, teaching believers to offer themselves without reserve to God. In The Way of Perfection, she describes prayer as a means of gradually learning to love God with the same depth and sacrifice that He showed in giving us Christ.
3. "That whosoever believeth in Him" — The Role of Faith
The next phrase, “that whosoever believeth in Him,” introduces the role of faith as the means by which we access the gift of salvation. Belief in Jesus is not merely intellectual but involves a transformative trust and surrender to His will.
St. John Chrysostom emphasized that belief in Christ involves not only acknowledgment of His divinity but a life of trust and obedience. In his Homilies on the Gospel of John, he taught that true faith in Christ manifests in a life conformed to Christ’s teachings, leading to conversion and a desire to live out the Gospel.
St. Augustine also described faith as a relational bond with God. He argued that faith is not just belief in doctrines or statements about Christ but a deeply personal encounter with Him. This kind of faith draws the believer into a profound relationship with God, characterized by love and fidelity. Augustine would go on to say that this faith requires the whole person intellect, will, and heart to be engaged with Christ.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, saw belief in God’s love as the source of all strength and peace in her “Little Way.” For Thérèse, faith in God’s love a simple, childlike trust in His goodness became her pathway to holiness. In her Story of a Soul, she expressed how faith in God’s love filled her with joy and peace, even in suffering, since she trusted that every part of her life was held within the loving will of God.
4. "May not perish, but may have life everlasting" — The Promise of Eternal Life
The final phrase of John 3:16 brings the promise of eternal life. This is the ultimate outcome of God’s gift and the hope that sustains Christians in their earthly journey. Eternal life is not just unending existence; it is a quality of life in perfect communion with God.
St. Irenaeus famously said, “The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.” In Irenaeus’ understanding, eternal life is the fulfillment of human destiny, where we see God “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). This vision of God is the ultimate goal of human life, and in Irenaeus’ view, it is what Christ’s sacrifice makes possible.
St. Thomas Aquinas explained that eternal life is the “beatific vision,” the direct, unmediated encounter with God in His full glory. In the Summa, he taught that seeing God as He is will bring perfect happiness and satisfaction to every longing of the human heart. Aquinas emphasized that this vision of God was only possible through Christ, the Mediator, whose sacrifice grants us the grace to enter Heaven.
St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross described eternal life as the fulfillment of the deep yearning for union with God that begins in prayer and is perfected in Heaven. Teresa viewed the contemplative life as a foretaste of eternal union with God, a way of beginning to experience God’s presence on Earth. Similarly, John of the Cross saw the spiritual journey as one that prepares the soul for the “marriage” of Heaven, where the soul’s love for God reaches its highest fulfillment.
The Saints’ Unified View of John 3:16
For the saints and theologians, John 3:16 is a proclamation of God’s immense love and the profound mystery of salvation. Here’s a summary of their insights:

God’s love for the world is a self-giving love that encompasses all creation, extending even to sinners. Saints like Augustine and Aquinas emphasized that God’s love is selfless, initiating a relationship with humanity that seeks our eternal good.
The gift of the only begotten Son is the ultimate expression of this love. Saints like Athanasius and Catherine of Siena saw the Incarnation and Crucifixion as acts of divine love and humility, showing that God does not hold back anything for our salvation.
Belief in Christ as a relational and transformative act, rather than mere intellectual assent, has been emphasized by saints like Chrysostom and Thérèse of Lisieux. True faith in Christ is an all-encompassing trust in His love and goodness.
The promise of eternal life is the ultimate hope of Christianity. For saints like Irenaeus, Aquinas, and Teresa, this promise is the fulfillment of human nature, where we are finally united with God in perfect happiness.
In summary, John 3:16 offers us the assurance that we are loved infinitely and called to eternal joy with God. The saints saw in this verse a call to trust, to live in faith, and to await the beatific vision, where we will fully experience the love that God has shown in sending His Son.
These two verses are not only teachings but guides for our lives as Catholics. God calls us to love Him with everything we have. This is no passive faith. It’s a daily choice to love and serve Him wholeheartedly. Then, John 3:16 reminds us that our love for God is always a response to His love. Through the Eucharist, we experience this love in a profound way, for the Eucharist is the very living testament of John 3:16 — God’s sacrificial love made present to us.
So, dear listeners, let’s hold these verses in our hearts and let them be the foundation of our faith. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 calls us to give our all to God, and John 3:16 reminds us that God has already given His all for us. Though separated by centuries, these verses are bound by their message that our God is one, and He has given everything so that we might have eternal life.
From a traditional Catholic perspective, the connection between Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and John 3:16 reveals God’s unfolding plan of salvation through the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. The Judaic and Protestant traditions approach these verses differently, yet both are seen as missing the fullness of God’s revelation that reaches its peak in the Catholic Church. Let’s examine each tradition’s interpretation and where they diverge from the Catholic understanding.
The Judaic Perspective: Holding to the First Covenant
In Judaism, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the Shema, is a central, daily-prayed affirmation of monotheism and devotion to God: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength.” This verse reinforces Israel’s covenant relationship with God, one that promises blessings and protection through obedience to His commandments. However, from a Catholic viewpoint, the Jewish understanding remains incomplete because it does not yet recognize the fulfillment of this covenant in Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah.
Why the Connection Was Missed:

Incomplete Revelation: Traditional Judaism does not see the New Testament as divinely inspired Scripture, so the link between Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and John 3:16 remains hidden. The Shema reflects a profound truth about God’s oneness and His call to love Him entirely, yet Judaism remains awaiting the fullness of God’s revelation.
The Messiah in a Different Light: In the Jewish faith, the Messiah is still anticipated as a future figure who will restore Israel’s kingdom and bring about universal peace. The concept of a Messiah who is both divine and sacrificial (as Jesus is in John 3:16) does not align with traditional Jewish expectations. Therefore, they miss seeing Christ as the embodiment of Deuteronomy 6:4-5’s call to love God wholeheartedly and John 3:16’s demonstration of God’s love for His creation.
The Catholic understanding teaches that God’s oneness and call for our total love culminates in Jesus, who embodies divine love and brings the new covenant promised in the Old Testament. By not recognizing this fulfillment, Judaism misses the profound link that Deuteronomy’s call to love and John’s revelation of divine love share in forming the foundation of the Catholic faith.

The Protestant Perspective: Sola Scriptura and Individual Interpretation
Protestantism holds John 3:16 as a key verse encapsulating God’s grace through faith in Christ, emphasizing salvation through a personal acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. While Protestants highly value the New Testament and understand Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, they approach this from the principle of sola scriptura (Scripture alone) and often reject the authority of the Catholic Church as the one true Church.
Where Protestant Interpretation Falls Short:
Individualistic Faith vs. Communal Faith: The traditional Catholic interpretation sees John 3:16 as God’s invitation to join a covenantal family in the Church, not merely a personal faith experience. While Protestants emphasize individual faith in Jesus, Catholic teaching sees John 3:16 as revealing the unity of believers in the one Church that Christ founded, which includes sacraments, authority, and a communal path to salvation. The Catholic Church, then, is seen as the guardian and teacher of the faith, fulfilling the continuity from Israel to the New Covenant, where Protestantism often overlooks this communal aspect.
Denial of Apostolic Authority: Protestants often reject the need for apostolic succession and the magisterium (teaching authority) of the Catholic Church. However, the Catholic perspective holds that Christ’s love, revealed in John 3:16, is safeguarded and transmitted by the Apostolic Church He established. Thus, without this apostolic foundation, Protestantism misses the link between God’s covenant with Israel (as seen in Deuteronomy) and its fulfillment in the Church. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 reflects the communal and covenantal structure that the Catholic Church believes is fully realized in the Church, where believers live in unity under one faith and one teaching authority.
Sacramental Life and Real Presence: Traditional Catholic teaching holds that salvation is not simply a personal belief but involves the sacraments instituted by Christ, particularly the Eucharist, where His real presence abides. The Church teaches that Christ’s sacrificial love (as expressed in John 3:16) continues through the Eucharist. Most Protestant denominations do not recognize the real presence in the Eucharist or the necessity of the sacraments as Catholicism does, which results in a lack of full connection to the “life everlasting” promised in John 3:16, a life nourished by the sacraments in the Catholic faith.
How These Verses Support the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
One “The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). This unity in the Shema is foundational and finds its continuation in the Church’s oneness, as the “one body” of Christ (Eph. 4:4-5). Catholics believe that unity with God also necessitates unity with His Church, an unbroken, apostolic institution founded by Christ.
Holy – God’s call to Israel to love Him “with thy whole heart” finds its ultimate expression in the lives of the saints and in the sacramental life of the Church, which offers the means of holiness to all believers. Through the Eucharist, sacraments, and devotion, Catholics believe they participate in divine life, aligning with John 3:16’s promise of eternal life.
Catholic – God’s love extends universally. While the Jewish covenant began with a chosen people, it was always meant to prepare the way for a universal Church, extending God’s salvation to all people. John 3:16 confirms this, as “God so loved the world.” The Catholic Church sees itself as this universal body, carrying forward the unity and love commanded in Deuteronomy.
Apostolic – Catholics believe the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles (Eph. 2:20) with a divinely appointed authority to guide believers in truth. Protestantism’s fragmentation and rejection of apostolic succession depart from the structure laid by Christ. This apostolic foundation ensures that teachings remain true to the original message of salvation, integrating both the Old and New Testaments harmoniously.
Thus, from a Catholic perspective, both Judaism and Protestantism miss the full connection between Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and John 3:16 because they do not see the culmination of God’s love and unity in the Catholic Church. While Judaism holds fast to the Shema without recognizing Christ, and Protestantism reveres John 3:16 without fully embracing the Church, Catholicism finds the fullness of God’s plan in the integration of both, united in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Let us pray.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
O Lord, grant us the grace to love You with our whole heart, soul, and strength. Help us to see, in the life and sacrifice of Your Son, the depth of Your love. May we always respond to Your love with faithfulness and devotion, following the path that leads to everlasting life.
Amen.
Thank you for joining me today on Truth and Tradition. Let’s carry these words with us through the week and live them out. God bless, and see you next time.