15th Sunday in Ordinary Time C Reflections

15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Deut30:10-14, Ps 68:14, 17, 30-33, 33-34,36-37, Rv.33, Col 1:5-20,

The Word is in your heart for your observance.

Lord in your compassion turn towards me.

Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God.

A Samaritan was moved with compassion when he saw the man half dead.

Luke 10: 25-37

²⁵ And now a lawyer stood up and, to test him, asked, 'Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' ²⁶ He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?' ²⁷ 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.' ²⁸ Jesus said to him, 'You have answered right, do this and life is yours.' ²⁹ But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?' ³⁰ In answer Jesus said, 'A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of bandits; they stripped him, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan traveller who came on him was moved with compassion when he saw him. ³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him. ³⁵ Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper and said, "Look after him, and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have." ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the bandits' hands?' ³⁷ He replied, 'The one who showed pity towards him.' Jesus said to him, 'Go, and do the same yourself.'

Jesus is my neighbour

The parable of the Good Samaritan is well known. But it is more easily preached than practiced. St. Augustine tells us that the first commandment is contained in the second. By loving our neighbour we love God. God values each person He has created. He is waiting passionately for them as they make their way to His home and heart. When we help someone on their way He is so happy He takes it as done to Himself.

In the prophet Isaiah God tells us: ‘I have called you by name. You are mine. You are precious in my eyes and I will honour you because I love you’. The mystery is that each person is so precious to God. You are precious to Him. God cannot be seen and it is so easy to deceive ourselves. ‘It is not those who call me “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but those who do the will of my Father in heaven’. God cannot be seen, but His children can.

Jesus in his manhood is the image of the unseen God. In some mysterious way each human being, friend or foe, is the image of the unseen Christ. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

We do not see Jesus, nor do we recognize him, but He said everything we did ‘to even the least of my brethren here, you did to me’. “When you welcome a small child in my name you welcome me”

How many of us like the priest and the Levite pass by on the other side! ‘What can I do?’ But if we really know Jesus, we will see Him in the least of His brethren too. It is more important to love one person in particular than to the love the whole world in general. Let us not cease to love Him in our worship but also love Him in our service to others.

“On the street I saw a naked child, hungry and shivering in the cold. I became angry and said to God, “Why do you allow this? Why don’t you do something?”

God did not reply. That night He said quite suddenly, “I certainly did something. I made you”.   (The Song of a Bird page 90) Remember God has sent you. He is also with you.

Father, teach me to love and serve you in the suffering as Jesus did and thereby gain your blessing