Deacon Shane Hyland, Leader of School Evangelisation at St Joseph’s Regional College reads today from the Gospel of Matthew (22: 34-40) in which Jesus says, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’ Afterwards, Shane shares a little about St Aloysius Gonzaga whose memorial we celebrate today.

Shane says that when Jesus tells us that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbour as ourselves, we’re given the perfect lens through which to view the remarkable life St Aloysius.

Aloysius Gonzaga was born in 1568 to a wealthy Italian noble family. His father had grand plans for him – to become a military leader and to continue the family’s prestigious legacy. But God had different plans. From a very young age, Aloysius felt called to something deeper.

What strikes me most about Aloysius is how completely he embraced that first commandment Jesus mentions – to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind. By age 7, he was already spending hours in prayer. As a young teenager serving as a page in the Spanish court, he maintained his spiritual disciplines despite being surrounded by luxury and temptation.

When Aloysius told his father he wanted to join the Jesuits, you can imagine the reaction! His father was furious. Here was the heir to the family name choosing to give up wealth, status, and comfort. For two years, his father tried to change his mind, even sending noblemen and bishops to persuade him. But Aloysius remained steadfast in his conviction that loving God meant giving his entire life to Him.

At 17, Aloysius finally received permission to renounce his inheritance and join the Society of Jesus. He embraced poverty, chastity, and obedience with remarkable fervour. His superiors actually had to instruct him to moderate his penances and prayer because he was so intense in his devotion!

But loving God with all our heart isn’t the only commandment Jesus gives us today. He also tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves. And it was in this second commandment that Aloysius truly shined.

In 1591, a terrible plague broke out in Rome. While others fled the city, Aloysius begged to serve in the hospitals. He cared for the sick, making their beds, washing them, and feeding them. He did the most menial and unpleasant tasks with joy because he saw Christ in each suffering person.

Aloysius knew that these two commandments – loving God and loving neighbour – cannot be separated.

As St. John reminds us, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.”

Aloysius contracted the plague himself while caring for the sick. During his final illness, he maintained extraordinary peace. When asked why he seemed so calm, he simply said, “We’re going home. We’re going home.” He died on June 21, 1591. He was just 23 years old.

In closing Shane says: May we, like Aloysius, hear these words of Jesus not just as a commandment to follow, but as an invitation to a life of profound love and purpose.