 |
| The Good Samaritan |
First Reading: (Galatians 1:6–12)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 111:1–2, 7–9, 10c)
R. The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
Gospel Acclamation: (Luke 10:27)
Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: (Luke 10:25–37)
“Who is my neighbor?”
The answer depends on who you ask.
A dictionary definition will tell us that a neighbor is someone who lives next door or near. But Jesus said whoever is in need is our neighbor.
In today’s parable, the Samaritan helped a man who was in need, whereas the priest and the Levite did not. The reason why the priest and the Levite did not help the injured man was due to fear of ritual impurity and fear of danger. They chose religious rules over human compassion.
The Samaritan, on the other hand, helped the injured man because he felt deep compassion for him.
He chose to act as a true neighbor, regardless of the animosity that existed between Samaritans and the Jewish people.
Loving someone and showing compassion requires taking a risk, opening oneself up to vulnerability.
When do we feel most vulnerable?
I find it difficult revealing the sources of my insecurities, pains, and fears to someone. Showing our wounds or our weakness to someone can be one of the most humbling things we can do. And it can make us feel very vulnerable.
The word vulnerability comes from the Latin vulnerare, which means to wound, injure, or harm.
When we are wounded, we instinctively cover up our wounds.
The only people we will show our wounds to are people we trust absolutely and they are very few if any.
Children would run to their mom and dad, show them their wounds, and cry.
Another person to whom we would reveal our wounds is a trusted medical professional, who can treat us and help us heal.
Jesus is our Divine Physician, who is capable of healing all of our wounds.
Often, instead of revealing and entrusting our wounds to Christ, we cover them up.
Instead of running to God, we may run to self-soothing behaviors and turn to our addictions.
I think we need to remind ourselves daily that Jesus willingly chose to suffer for us.
And the wounds that He suffered for us became the source of our healing.
In the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his wounds we are healed.”
When Jesus appeared to His disciples after He rose from the dead, He still had His scars.
I am sure that one of the first things the disciples noticed were His scars.
There doubting Thomas said:
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
So when Jesus returned, Jesus revealed His wounds and asked Thomas to touch them and see that it was Him.
Through those scars, Thomas’ doubt was healed, and he returned to faith.
Jesus did not hide His wounds.
He revealed them.
The wounds that appeared to be signs of defeat became signs of victory.
The scars became witnesses to the love that had been poured out for humanity.
May we all be good neighbors to all in need.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment