14 July 2019 (15º O T)
The word of God for this Sunday reminds us of one of the parables that comes from the heart of Jesus to “portray” the attitudes of many, which, like the one who asked him, “to justify himself”. The parable of the Good Samaritan.
A lawyer (student of the Law of Moses), asked Jesus, to test him, “how to achieve eternal life”. Jesus responds to him with something he already knows: “The love of God and neighbour”. And then, a new question: Who is my neighbour? Jesus responds with the parable about a Jew assaulted, beaten, mistreated and abandoned. A priest and a Levite, people “officially good”, compatriots of the one ill-treated, on seeing him they pass on by. In contrast, a Samaritan, a foreigner, takes pity on him, cares for him, pays his expenses. He approaches him and he is moved with pity. He cares for him.
Given these characters, which of them best reflects my attitude? Those who pass by on the other side or the one who stops and takes care of him? Concerned about our own things, it is easy that we are not aware of the many needs that there are around us: the sick, elderly, poor, people who live on the street… People who need more than just a few coins: a friendly word, a helping hand, a little of our time.
We find it more comfortable to follow our way, and I am sure that we find appropriate justification, but deep in our hearts we know that we are passing them by. We lack the love of neighbour shown to us by the good Samaritan.
Jesus always stopped and helped the poor, the sick and needy. Today he says to us: “Go and do likewise”. When the time comes, he will say to us: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was sick and you visited me…”.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
