St Paul advises that we Christians should avoid going into debt, except that of mutual love. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt our neighbour and as such, that is why love is the answer to every one of the commandments.

Love is so essential, and yet it comes at a cost to us: our convenience, our time, our patience, our efforts to reach out and care for others which may be rejected. Is this cost worth it, especially in a world that prioritises self-comfort and self-care?

Our Lord Jesus teaches us that yes, the cost of loving God and neighbour is worth every effort. Indeed, as He states, anyone who does not carry his cross and come after Him cannot be His disciple. For the cross that Jesus bore was a cross of love.

We too, are called to bear this cross of love in a spirit of knowledge and trust. Whatever possessions we have been blessed with, let us pray for a spirit of self-denial and detachment from them so that we may be able to love more fully and completely without clinging too tightly to them.