~~~Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~
~~~ Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ~~~
~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Colossians 1:15-20 ~~~ Luke 10:25-37 ~~~
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
If only we would trust this psalm refrain to be true.
Moses gives us some helpful insight.
He assures us that what we are searching for is very near.
In fact so very near that it is a part of our essence.
It is within our soul even if it is lying dormant.
...something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out.
The Spirit and Life of the Lord
are waiting to be drawn out for our immediate use.
The Samaritan traveler knew how and when
to act on what was placed upon his heart.
He stopped to render aid to a complete stranger.
Would you consider such a person your neighbor?
Would you find some excuse
to move on by the wounded person?
This stranger did more than call for someone
else to come care for the wounded stranger.
This is a beautiful example of one stranger
stopping to help another stranger.
Perhaps we are comfortable stopping to help a friend,
but helping a stranger is something different.
We all have neighbors who are our friends
and neighbors who are strangers.
Sometimes it takes some form of disaster
before we are moved to render aid to our neighbors
who are also strangers.
Both the priest, and the Levite found ways to avoid the stranger.
They made up their own excuse to not access what
should have already been in their heart.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
How can we love our neighbor as ourselves
if we ignore those in need...
if we avoid those who are hurting...
if we cross over to the other side of the road?
Ask yourself,
Who is my neighbor?
You know the answer.
It is already on your lips and in your heart.
The next step is to make
your actions reflect God's mercy.
Who is the next neighbor you will help?
Blessed to act with mercy and compassion.
Our neighbor is no longer a stranger.
~~~Peace ~~~
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