2nd Reading, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Romans 13:8-10

Love, the Fulfilling of the Law

[8] Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
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Commentary:

8-10. To enable him to keep the Commandments of God perfectly, man receives the interior influence of love of God and love of neighbor. For when love motivates us we readily give what is due--and more besides--to him whom we love. In his public preaching St John of Avila used to say--"Those of you who are unlettered should not think that this means you cannot enter paradise, study these two commandments, and when you have fulfilled them, realize that you have done everything laid down in the Law and the Prophets, and everything taught by the Gospel and by the Apostles and whatever you are admonished to do by all the countless books that have been written, for the Lord has send his word to us in (this) manifold form (cf. Rom 9:28)" ("Sermons", Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost).

The relationship between the virtues of charity and justice is similar to that between love and the commandments of the Law. "Be convinced that justice alone is never enough to solve the great problems of mankind [...]. Charity must penetrate and accompany justice because it sweetens and deifies everything: 'God is love' (1 Jn 4:16). Our motive in everything we do should be the Love of God, which makes it easier for us to love our neighbor and which purifies and raises all earthly loves on to a higher level [...]. Charity, which is like a generous overflowing of justice, demands first of all the fulfillment of one's duty. The way to start is to be just; the next step is to do what is most equitable...; but in order to love, great refinement is required, and much thoughtfulness, and respect, and kindliness" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 172-3).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.