Reflection for MONDAY, 27th Week, Ordinary Time.

By

    Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar

 Today's Gospel

Luke 10:25-37    

 

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 

 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” 

 Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”


Today's Reflection

We know that the Bible is the Word of God.

To really understand the Word of God, we would have to do some Bible study in order to know how to interpret the meaning of what is written in the Bible.

There are many resources that are available that have commentaries on the Word of God.

As much as most commentaries are correct interpretations of the Word of God, it is possible that some have questionable interpretations.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul warned the Galatians that some troublemakers among them wanted to change the Good News of Christ.

Essentially the Good News is about salvation and to love God and to love neighbour.

Any deviations from that essential message of the Good News would be questionable.

In the gospel, the lawyer, in order to justify himself, asked Jesus who is his neighbour, and Jesus responded with the parable of the “Good Samaritan”.

And Jesus asked him this question: Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands’ hands?

The question that we have to ask ourselves is this: Who do we think is our neighbour?

But a deeper question for our reflection would be this: Who is God sending to us so that we can be a neighbour to them?

When we realise that the neighbours are not who we want them to be but who God is sending to us, then we will have an idea of what God is really saying to us in the Bible.


 GOD BLESS YOU

Good morning. Have a nice day.