Loving God through our neighbor
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: Luke 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Reflection
Living in the city, I have come to realize that it is not very common to greet strangers on the street. We cannot trust them completely, and this creates a distance between us. Even in the places where we live, I notice that we often don’t know our neighbors well enough to speak with them. This makes it easy to find ourselves in situations where we cannot help them—or where we convince ourselves that their troubles are not our business.
Once, while I was at home, I suddenly witnessed a disturbing scene: a couple was arguing outside, the woman was crying, and the man was hitting her. Many people passed by, but no one stopped to intervene. I found myself thinking the same way—if I went out to help, I might find myself in trouble as well. During that moment, I felt deeply unhappy because I recognized my own helplessness. I felt uncompassionate, unable even to speak up against the man’s violence.
In today’s gospel, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, who was able to stop and feel compassion for a man who was helpless. He approached the wounded person, cured his wounds, and even gave the innkeeper two silver coins to ensure his continued care. What a beautiful example of a compassionate person! This is the very way God feels compassion for each one of us.
The gospel tells us that Jesus answered the scholar of the law by instructing him to act like the Samaritan. It is true that we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. It is easy for us to say these words, to memorize them, or to hold them as knowledge. But love cannot remain merely intellectual. Dear brothers and sisters, we often claim to love God, but many times we don’t truly love Him—we escape the very occasions where we could love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.
There are countless opportunities for us to express this love of God through our neighbors. The Good Samaritan teaches us that we need to love Christ in action, not only through words.
Who is our neighbor, dear brothers and sisters? Our neighbor is the one close to us: the people we meet daily, the people we ignore while going to work or school, the people who are not our friends or family members. If we truly say that we love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, we must try to love them, because in loving them, we are loving God. God indeed loves each person because we are His sons and daughters.
Let us allow God to work through us toward our neighbors. Let us be moved by compassion, heal their wounds, and take care of them as Jesus takes care of each one of us. Today, let us ask ourselves: Are we able to show mercy to our neighbors? Do we truly long to inherit eternal life?
Reflection Questions
1. When was the last time I allowed fear, indifference, or convenience to prevent me from acting with compassion toward someone in need? How might God be inviting me to respond differently next time?
2. Do I truly see the people around me—especially strangers and those I overlook—as beloved children of God, worthy of my care and attention? How can I grow in recognizing Christ in them?
