![]() ![]() For though we are to love the members of Christ as He did, we must note that we ourselves are also members of Christ, and therefore we are bound to love ourselves in a truly supernatural fashion.” “If we examine this precept of love we shall find that the obligation, while extensive, is by no means insupportable. As Dom Eugene Boylan, OCR (1945) notes in his insightful work, This Tremendous Lover: Implicit in his response is the fact that we are called to love ourselves commensurately with how we love others. Jesus’ response to the lawyer, however, would indicate otherwise. Among the many reasons for this, one that is most common is a sense that others deserve compassion and patience, but that applying these things to oneself would be selfish, morally lax, or even an obstacle to charity. In particular, it is the last two words of the second commandment that I would like to focus on here: “as thyself.” Throughout my clinical work, I have often experienced a mixture of admiration and sadness for the way that people relate to themselves and others: Admiration because they are often selfless and compassionate towards others sadness because they are often unable to apply these qualities to themselves. As with every line of scripture, however, there is much to be gained from further meditation on Christ’s words about the two greatest commandments. ![]() If someone tells me that 2 + 2 = 4, I recognize it as familiar and true, but I’m not likely to spend the rest of my day-or even the rest of that minute-contemplating this fact. It may even hold that kind of familiarity that leads us to tune it out on some level as tired, old information. Most of us have heard this passage at one point or another in our lives. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 35-40). And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. This is the greatest and the first commandment. “And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. Is it Psychologically Healthy to Love your Neighbor as Yourself? ![]()
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