FITEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY SEASON, YEAR C FIRST READING ; DEUTRONOMY 30: 10-14 RESPONSORIAL; PSALM 19 SECOND READING; COLOSIANS 1: 15-20 GOSPEL READING; LUKE 10:25-37 YOU CANNOT LOVE WHEN YOU HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED LOVE Last Sunday we found out that we need a community (others) to be able to recognize Jesus. It is possible that, like Thomas, we have been away from others when Jesus appeared. This does not mean that we have been away doing something bad; in most cases we have been away on a good mission. We have done good things alone and heard that God has blessed others who have done the same things but with others. This is when we start wondering and ask ‘why me?’. We begin to doubt the presence of Jesus in our lives! It is my hope that last Sunday’s reflection helped us all to see the importance of being with others if we want to recognize the Risen Christ who comes to appear to the community. Today we are invited to reflect on what makes us not be with others. Is it because we want the glory after achieving things alone? We fail to be with others because we have not listened to our hearts but we listen to our selfish nature. God wants us to recognize Him when we are with others in our hearts. This is when God comes in our lives and lets us experience His Love in our life. Someone who has experienced God’s love in his/her life acts like God who is Love itself. He/ she is not bound with tribe, religion, ethnicity, race, social status, age; the only force that drives him/her to act is LOVE. When we love we see, hear, touch, smell and taste with our hearts. Nothing becomes expensive to offer to those we love. No time is late to be with those we love. No distance is long to reach those we love. No sacrifice is impossible for the sake of those whom we love. In the First reading, Moses, the author of the book of Deuteronomy, says that this LOVE ‘is something very near to us, already in our mouths and in our hearts; we have only to carry it out.’ How many times have we said to others I love you? …Can we still repeat the same words when these ‘others’ are in troubles? The gospel presents a story involving three characters including a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. In this story, Jesus appears to the three through an injured man lying by the roadside and only the Samaritan recognized Him. The Samaritan sees an injured person with his heart and postpones his plans to attend to the injured person. Our relationship with God is measured by the Love we have for the others and not who we are or what we do. The priest and the levite passed by on the other side because in their hearts was pride and not love. To these ones, their neighbor is one who is of their tribe race, ethnicity, social class, age, etc. For them a neighbor is someone you help and expect something in return; maybe an applause, or material returns. The Samaritan, the despised one, had in his heart great love that made the man in need his neighbor. And he was applauded by Jesus. In what you do everyday, who applauses you? Is it Jesus or people of your social class,race, ethnicity, age,….and when you act what drives you? Is it LOVE or PRIDE?
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 07:13:49 +0000
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