DAILY- HOMILY

July 15, 2007
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C

DEUTERONOMY 30:10-14
Moses said to the people: "If only you would heed the voice of the
LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are
written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your
God, with all your heart and all your soul. "For this command that I
enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is
not up in the sky, that you should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to
get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' Nor is it
across the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea to get it
for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' No, it is
something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out."

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for
him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He
is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be
preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and
through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood
of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

LUKE 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him,
"What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your
being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered
correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to
justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus
replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem
to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-
dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw
him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the
place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a
Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the
sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds
and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him
to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver
coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care
of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay
you on my way back.' Which of these three, in your opinion, was
neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated
him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

REFLECTION
The teaching of today's parable is twofold: First, Jesus teaches us
that Christian love doesn't know boundaries. Christian love doesn't
distinguish between Filipino, Chinese, American, or Spanish. It
doesn't distinguish between the weak and the powerful.

Second, Jesus teaches us that when we see a distinction made between
nationalities, rich and poor, young and old, weak and powerful - then
we cannot sit idly by in some comfortable corner and continue to enjoy
our own thing with complacency.

That is what Jesus teaches us in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
This is the message that the Church repeats for us in today's liturgy.
And so today's Gospel invites us to ask ourselves the same questions
that the parable raises.

First, it invites us to ask ourselves: Do we tend to distinguish
between nationalities, rich and poor, young and old, the weak and the
powerful? In other words - to what extent do we tend to be like the
Levite and the priest in Jesus' parable?

Second, Jesus' parable invites us to ask ourselves: Do we tend to sit
idly when we see someone in need or someone treated badly? In other
words to what extent do we tend to be like the priest and the Levite,
who walked on; who failed to help; who refused to get involved when
they saw someone treated badly.

Today's parable does not exhort us to go out, risk our lives, and
become heroes. It simply invites us to reach out, risk our comfort,
and become involved. It asks us to take to heart Jesus' parable of the
Good Samaritan.

Jimmy, a student from the Ateneo was coming home from school one day,
when he saw a little girl sideswiped by a car that didn't even bother
to stop. Jimmy stopped to pick up the girl and brought her to a nearby
hospital. Instead of being grateful, members of the victim's family
moved into the hospital room and had free board and lodging for
several days. And some days later the parents charged Jimmy for being
the "hit-and-run" driver.

When Jimmy shared this painful experience and he was asked, "Suppose
you see another person in a similar situation needing help, would you
still stop to help?" Jimmy paused for a long while, the he answered,
"I guess as a Christian, I would still help."

Would you, if you were in Jimmy's place?

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
.. for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
.. for the strength, healing and speedy recovery of:
- Dodo
- Ely
- Bro. Nanding
- Bro. Rommel Salvacion
- Rosebel Saavedra
.. good health for Marietta Joy Therese
.. for the personal intentions and guidance of:
- San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc.
- Guevara Family
.. for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Anniversary: Jonathan & Jocelyn Sarte
- In Memoriam (+): Dean Chua
.. for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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