Deuteronomy 30.10-14 | Colossians 1.15-20 | Luke 10.25-37

We begin the fifteenth week of Ordinary Time with Mother Church. We are deepening our knowledge of Jesus and His teachings.

Today, the Evangelist Luke tells us about the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus told to a teacher of the Law who wanted to trouble Him, reflecting on eternal life and the fulfillment of the Law.

Let us remember that the teachers of the Law were Jews dedicated to the study of the Law of Moses and had recognized authority to interpret It. The teachers of the Law felt uncomfortable with Jesus' teachings because they did not recognize His authority, because some of His teachings did not follow Jewish tradition, and because they were jealous of the people's reception of Jesus. The teachers of the Law asked Jesus complex questions to try to confuse Him in front of the people. 

The teacher of the Law in today's gospel asked Jesus about eternal life and who one's neighbor was according to the Law of Moses. Jesus turned the question back to the teacher of the Law, who correctly answered that one inherited eternal life by loving God and one's neighbor. When asked about the identity of one's neighbor, Jesus told the beautiful parable of the Samaritan who mercifully cared for a stranger on the verge of death from a violent assault.

The curious thing about the parable was that the same seriously injured man had previously been neglected by a priest and a Levite, both committed to religious worship. The fervent temple servants neglected to love their neighbor, likely because, if they touched the bleeding man, they would become impure and forbidden from performing religious service.

That teacher of the Law then understood the identity of one's neighbor, who was the one who mercifully cared for the needs of those in need. 

It was also surprising that Jesus chose a Samaritan as the protagonist of the parable, given the Jews' contempt for them. The inhabitants of Samaria were considered ungodly and impure due to their coexistence with non-Jewish foreigners. Thus, Jesus was teaching that love for one's neighbor depends more on the heart than on origin or religious piety.

Jesus is the Good Samaritan Himself, who mercifully cares for us after we have seriously hurt one another as a consequence of our personal and social sins. Let us allow ourselves to be healed by Him.

Let us remember that love for God necessarily involves love for our neighbor, and that anyone who says they love God but despises their brother is a liar (cf. 1 John 4:20). Jesus said that when we do good to His brothers, we do it to Him (cf. Matthew 25:40).

In times of so much local and international violence, let us stand in solidarity with those wounded in body and heart, even if it means praying for them. 

Today, the author of the book of Deuteronomy speaks of Moses' teaching that the commandments and precepts of the Lord God are readily available to the people, in their mouths and in their hearts, urging them to conversion with all their hearts and souls.

The commandments of the Lord God contained in the Holy Scriptures are not something strange or imposing, but are a divine response to the deepest desire of the human heart for fulfillment and transcendence in love. Obeying them is more than piety; it is wisdom.

Let us unreservedly obey the commandments and precepts of the Lord God, teaching others to do the same, converting from evil to good, from selfishness to solidarity, as a pleasing act of praise.

Today, the Apostle Paul speaks to us in his letter to the Colossians about the identity and mission of Christ according to God the Father. It is a beautiful and profound Christological hymn that the Church sings with devotion to this day. 

In short: Christ is the image of the invisible God and came from Him, who created all things through Him and for Him. The consistency of all things is in Him. The Father placed His fullness in the Son, who is the Head of the Church, His mystical Body. Through His death and resurrection, Christ made peace and reconciled the beings of earth and heaven with God. Christ is the firstborn from the dead.

We inherit this faith in Christ from the Church and must pass it on in its entirety to future generations. These are not just theoretical statements, but impactful truths that arise from a profound experience of relationship with Christ.

With our words accompanied by our deeds, we joyfully bear witness to the lordship of Christ.

Local: Praia Grande - SP, Brasil

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