Daily Catholic Reflection: October 5, 2020, Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Galatians 1:6-12,

Psalm 111:1b-2.7-8.9,

Luke 10:25-37 Full Readings

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

 Who is my Neighbor

The Gospel of the good Samaritan is perhaps one of the most known passages in the bible which provides a strongest teaching about the love of neighbor. Jesus' teaching about love emphasised not only love for God but love for the neighbor, the two go together. Love God with everything you have but also love your neighbor as I have loved you, says Jesus.  Brethren, sometimes, like the teacher of law in the gospel today, we may be tempted also to ask who my neighbor is.

In the Gospel, the good neighbor is a good Samaritan who helped the man who was wounded by the bandits. We also become good neighbours if we are able to reach out in love to help the people who need our help whether they have asked or not, provided we come across any. We are able to provide help in different ways and in any capacity we can. This is our invitation today. 

However, there are many things which block us from becoming good neighbors which we can even notice from the Gospel especially with the attitudes of the Levite and the priest.

Firstly, it is the dictatorship of Human Respect: What made the priest and the Levite pass by this poor man lying on the side of the road? Surely they knew that they should help him...didn’t they? It’s easy for us to judge them, but we do the same thing all the time. How often do we “pass by” because we’re embarrassed, because it would just be too awkward. The Good Samaritan, meanwhile, sees someone lying almost dead on the side of the road, hears his conscience nudge him to go to the man’s aid, and does it. The need for the other was more important than his own “awkwardness.” May we realize that awkwardness or human respect is never an excuse to leave others suffering.

Secondly, is when we think that we can only live on our own without any help from any other.  There comes a time in our life that we need help and if we have been helping others, we shall also receive help from them when we need it. 

This is the greatest teaching of Jesus, the teaching of love of God and the neighbour. This is what we should preach and anybody preaching against this is against the teachings of Jesus. This is what Paul is warning us against in the first reading, and emphasises that we should preach what we have received from the Apostles, not our own things, our content of preaching should be only and only Jesus Christ and his teachings. Let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to discern the right and false Gospel.

Reflect today on which type of neighbour you are. Do you reach out in love to help anybody in need or there are still some attitudes of a levite and a priest. Ask the assistance of the Spirit that you will show love towards God and your neighbor.

Let us Pray

Lord, Help me to see the people in my life lying on the road with no one to help them. Give me eyes like yours to see beyond myself, beyond my needs and wants. Lord, I know you are calling me to serve, open my eyes to see and discern your teachings and practice them in my life. Amen

Be blessed