15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11 July 2010
First reading Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Moses said to the people: ‘Obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping those commandments and laws of his that are written in the Book of this Law, and you shall return to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
‘For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, “Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, “Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance.’
Psalm or canticle: Psalm 68:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37
Second reading Colossians 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God
and the first-born of all creation,
for in him were created
all things in heaven and on earth:
everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –
all things were created through him and for him.
Before anything was created, he existed,
and he holds all things in unity.
Now the Church is his body,
he is its head.
As he is the Beginning,
he was first to be born from the dead,
so that he should be first in every way;
because God wanted all perfection
to be found in him
and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,
everything in heaven and everything on earth,
when he made peace
by his death on the cross.
Gospel Luke 10:25-37
There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’
But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’
Reflection
By Patty De la Rosa-Paat
Jesus emphasized the two great commandments of God and these are “ Love God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength and mind, and “ Love your neighbor as thy self “. This sums up the ten commandments according to the Law of God.
When the Scholar of the Law asked Jesus how he could inherit the kingdom of God and who is his neighbor, the story of Good Samaritan came out. This parable tell us the true meaning of “ Love thy neighbor as thy self “. Three personalities are described in this parable. Two of them are well known figures in the society, the Priest and the Levite and the other one is the Samaritan. But who amongst them pleased God? Is it the Priest and the Levite who neglected the wounded man? Or the Samaritan who acted kindly upon seeing the wounded man?
To please God, we must do works of mercy to our so called “ NEIGHBOR “. And who is this “ NEIGHBOR “ Jesus is referring to? This “ NEIGHBOR “ is someone who is nearby wherever we are. They could be our love ones, friends, enemies, people in our community or to be specific, the children of God are our neighbors.
This passage of the Scripture teaches us not only the importance of the two great commandments but likewise, teaches us the value of the word 'Love'. Sad to say, and I must admit that it is an error in our times to accept the fallacy that the opposite of Love is Hate!
In the parable of the good Samaritan, I learned to understand the in-depth meaning of love. In the Scriptures there is no indication as to which tribe the wounded man belonged to but I would like to believe that he is Jew. And that Samaritan is considered an enemy of the Jewish people. The Samaritan indeed, did something extraordinary! He went out of his way just to save a stranger, an enemy!
Obviously the two men, the priest and Levite, who first saw the wounded man didn’t have the care in the world to come to his aid! From this, I learned that THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE is not HATRED but INDIFFERENCE! If a person hates, he is affected, he is annoyed! Therefore, he cares! I personally believe that hatred is another manifestation of love in a different way. The saddest of all, is the word INDIFFERENCE! When we are not affected! When we don’t have the care in the world!
Another thing that is worth pointing out from this parable is that the Samaritan did not just offer financial aid but also his TIME. A precious gift that anyone can give to someone in need.
In every special occasion like birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries etc, we often give gifts that may only give temporary happiness. How about giving something different this time by giving more quality time with those around us during special occasions?
Lastly, let us do more Works of Mercy based on the teachings of Jesus Christ below:
The Corporal Works of Mercy:
1. To feed the hungry
2. To give drink to the thirsty
3. To clothe the naked
4. To visit and ransom the captives
5. To shelter the homeless
6. To visit the sick
7. To bury the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy:
1. Instruct the ignorant
2. Counsel the doubtful
3. Admonish sinners
4. Bear wrongs patiently
5. Forgive offences willingly
6. Comfort the afflicted
7. Pray for the living and the dead
Heavenly Father, we are so blessed of Your gift of love and life. May we always share the gifts that comes from You. Help me believe in myself so I may use my life to help others.
May You increase our patience, understanding, knowledge,perseverance, strength, and our faith to love You nd others unconditionally.Make ourselves an inspiration to others and help us to bring You in their life.
Hear our prayer O Lord. For we believe in You. You are our GOD, forever and ever. Amen.
Building A Relationship With God
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