FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
14 JULY 2019
The
scholar of the law knows what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. He knows the law: love God with all your heart, all your being,
all your strength, all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. But there is a difference between knowing and
doing. That is why he asks Jesus to
answer the question of who is his neighbor.
Jesus
responds with this beautifully crafted parable.
Both the priest and the Levite know that the robbery victim is their
neighbor in need of help. Jesus gives no
reason why they do nothing to help him.
However, the hated Samaritan does something. He treats the victim as his neighbor. He gives his resources and time: pouring wine and oil on his wounds and
bandaging them, lifting him on his animal, spending the night with him at an
inn, and providing the equivalent of two days’ wages for his care. His motive:
he is moved with compassion.
Over the
years, Father Larry has become our neighbor.
We have come to know what he needs.
He serves his people in a third world setting with very few financial
resources. We have been moved by
compassion at the difficulties of his people.
We have helped him build a hospital in an area where there was no
medical care. We have helped him build a
new church, a rectory, a convent, and a school.
Now he
comes to us, because the hospital needs updating. I visited the hospital at the time when his
new church was dedicated. It was very
primitive – no inside plumbing or toilets, minimal housing for the sisters who
served the patients, and no residence for the nurses. Despite the lack of resources, they were
grateful for what they had. When we
left, the sisters gave us two live chickens to express our gratitude. Since we figured that TSA officials at O’Hare
would not approve, we gave them to our driver, who took them home to his
mother.
Father
Larry comes to us, so that he can improve the services of the hospital. In his name, I thank you for showing compassion
and doing something for our African neighbors, for whom we pray every
Sunday. And now, Father Larry puts in
his own two cents.
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