“And who is my neighbor?”
luke 10:29
Reflection
Today we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus tells this parable in response to a scholar who first asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, which is to love God above all and love your neighbor as yourself, and then proceeds to asks who his neighbor is.
Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? Do we exercise the same respect and compassion towards others as we would want done to us? When we hear the Good Samaritan parable, it may be hard to relate literally – many of us might not care for a stranger in such a way. But we can take care of the stranger, our neighbor, in different ways. Perhaps a lonely coworker needs that extra attention, perhaps an elderly person needs assistance at the grocery store.
However small, we can be a loving face for others and help them in their need, loving them as Christ loves them. We can begin to love others better when we love God well. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love your neighbor, not from a distance, but in a tangible way, for it will lead you closer to Christ.
Saint of the Day
St. Clelia Barbieri: 1847 – 1870
“Be brave because I am going to Paradise; but I shall always remain with you, too; I shall never abandon you!”
St. Clelia
The Healing Word 