Cycle C - Year II:

10 July 2016: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read Luke 10:25-37

Caring for others!

Before the coming of computers and other electronic gadgets, did you experience bonding time with parents through bedtime stories?

In the early 50's, my single mother would put me and a brother soundly asleep by reading to us bedtime stories. And it has always been effective, I recall now.

Even to these days, storytelling is used in public speaking, and even in classroom teaching. For effective storytelling is a fine and beautiful art. A well-developed and presented story can cut across age barriers and will hold the interest and reach its listeners. Because stories will be easily remembered long after other orations.

In the Christian world, we are familiar with the parables of Jesus, which is a form of storytelling. The parables represent a key part of Jesus' teaching, in fact forming approximately one-third of recorded teaching of Jesus according to biblical authorities.

These parables are simple and memorable stories, often with imagery, usually depicting simple everyday life of Jesus' time. But although these parables are "simple", they convey deep messages that are central to the teaching of our Lord Jesus.

In this Sunday's Gospel by Luke, we will hear one of the most well-known parables, that of the Good Samaritan.

There was a Jewish expert of the lad who stood up to test Jesus on how to inherit everlasting life. Their conversation touched on two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor. But, like any other legal experts even in our time, the lawyer wanted to spar with Jesus over the legal texts of the law, and so asked Him, "And who is my neighbor?"

Our Lord responded by telling the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Let us examine briefly the

implication of this parable at that time. In the social context of that time, Jesus tells this parable to shock and challenge His listeners. Because recall that Jews were hostile to the Samaritans, who were considered social outcasts. Thus, by the choice of such protagonist, Jesus intentionally scandalizes the lawyer to shock this complacent and self-serving man into genuine understanding of love for neighbor.

Ultimately, our Lord also addresses this Parable of the Good Samaritan to everyone in our time, especially those who want to test God and justify themselves. We can, therefore, learn important lessons from this parable.

First, the use of Samaritan (whom we said was considered the outcast of society at that time) as depicting him as a good neighbor is to show that we ought not to set limits to our charity. It must extend even to our "enemies" who need our help. For Christian charity knows no bounds.

Second, the parable presents the Samaritan as the exemplar of love for neighbor to show that God's grace also extends to all, that is to say, beyond the "saintly and the holy", enabling even Samaritans (or the "less-Godly") to love others as God commands.

Finally, the story teaches us that to be a neighbor is to be more sensitive to human life, both the joy and pain of people. Because being a neighbor is not based on personal relationship, race or religion. We should worry less about our own perception, or definition, of who is a neighbor, but more about being a neighbor to all, especially those who desperately need our help and mercy.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan provides an inspiring standard of love for neighbor. And Jesus told this parable to show how wide God's love and mercy towards all. In our time Mother Theresa is our role model of a good neighbor as she cared for the abandoned and the dying in the streets of India.

In sum, the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that love must be generous, sacrificial, extending even to our "enemies". Because it is in being a neighbor that we are also able to be living witnesses of our faith through concrete action of charity and mercy, and not just through self-serving devotion.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!