LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR
How can we love God if we do not love our neighbor? Our love for God is shown in our love of neighbor. These are the commandments which we live by: love of God and love of neighbor. The question posed to the lawyer is good for us to meditate on as well: Who is our neighbor? I am sure his head must have spun as Jesus spoke to him about this parable. It is a known fact that Jews and Samaritans were at loggerheads with one another, as much hostility and racism existed between the two.
You would think the priest and Levite in the parable would have at least done something for the poor man who was left for dead on the roadside. The priest and Levite were supposedly the epitome of God’s benevolent love and compassion, and yet they just passed by the poor man on the way. They didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They must have thought he was dead. Any contact would have made them ritually unclean. But they could, at least, have shown a little compassion to make sure he was alright. Notice how the Samaritan went out of his way — binding up the wounds, pouring oil and wine, settling him on the horse, bringing him to a place of rest until he should return. And return he did! What amazing love and compassion.
It would be good to be reminded of the “works of mercy,” both spiritual and corporal. Perhaps we can use them as points for our examen of conscience in our meditations today. The spiritual works of mercy are: convert the sinner, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive injuries, and pray for the living and the dead. The corporal are: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: Of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy enumerated above, what have you been fulfilling diligently? And which have you been neglecting?
Father, make me a Good Samaritan. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment