July 10, 2016

15th Sun., Ordinary Time

July 10, 2016:  Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

See 15 connections with today?
Legend below

Listen
For next Sunday:  Psalm 15: You who do justice/ Celoni (sheet music, just written)
Pope Francis Angelus
The Good Samaritan parable indicates a style of life in which the center of gravity is others.  We might ask, “Who is my neighbor?  Friends, parents, fellow citizens, co-religionists?  Instead of answering directly, Jesus tells the parable in which a man who didn't observe the true religion helped the victim, in contrast to the priest and Levite who passed him by.  The story reverses our perspective.  It's not for us to categorize people, to see whether they count as our neighbors; the decision to be neighbor depends on us.
We must have the attitude of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate our faith. “Faith without works is dead.”  Ask often, "Does my faith produce good works?"  We'll be judged on that question.  "That half-dead man, that hungry child, that migrant that people wanted to chase away, those grandparents abandoned in rest homes, the sick nobody visited, were Me.  Remember?”  May Mary help us walk the path of generous love, the path of the Good Samaritan.
Read
  • Dt 30:10-14  Moses:  "Heed the Lord's voice and keep his commandments; return to the Lord with your heart and soul.  The command is not mysterious and remote; it's near you, in your mouths and hearts; you have only to carry it out."
  • Ps 19:8-11  "Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life."  The Lord's law is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true, just, precious, and sweet, refreshing, giving wisdom, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eye, enduring.
  • Col 1:15-20  Christ is the image of God.  All things were created in, through, and for him.  He holds everything together.  He's head of the body, the church.  In him all the fullness dwelt.  He made peace by the blood of his cross....
  • Lk 10:25-37  "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" / "How do you read the law?" / "Love God with heart, being, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor." / "Correct; do this and you'll live." / "Who is my neighbor?" / "Robbers beat a man and left him half dead.  A priest going down the road passed on the other side, as did a Levite, but a Samaritan traveler, moved with compassion, approached the victim, bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn, cared for him, gave money to the innkeeper, and asked him to care for him till he returned.  Who was the victim's neighbor?" / "The one who treated him with mercy." / "Do likewise."
Reflect
    • Creighton:  We like to think we're like the Samaritan who came who helped the stranger.  Every day we can do little things to love and help our neighbor:  the retiree who wants to talk, young parents with squirmy children on a plane,...  If we follow the commandments to love God and others, we'll truly live....
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Do you love?"  Life is a matter of loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.  "One who has no love for the brother he has seen can't love the God he hasn't seen."  We love our neighbor if we're willing to give hands-on, sacrificial service to them, to the point of laying down our lives for them, even if they're our enemies, loving as the crucified Jesus loves....
      The Good Samaritan/ Morot
    • Passionist:  A 50-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while taking the bar exam.  Two other students administered CPR until the paramedics arrived, then resumed their exams.  The supervisor didn't allow them additional time to make up for their time helping the victim: “If they want to be lawyers, they should learn about priorities.”  Our work of compassion requires us to pay attention to what's really important.  In today's gospel Jesus taught the lawyer a lesson about priories.  Interrupt your state bar exam, he told him, and be neighbor to the man suffering a heart attack.
    • DailyScripture.net:  "Go and do likewise":  Jesus told the Good Samaritan story in response to a devout Jew who wanted to apply God's great commandment in his daily life.   He understood 'neighbor' as one's fellow Jew, but Jesus challenged him to God had a broader view.  Jesus makes the despised Samaritan the merciful one as an example for the status-conscious Jews.  The priest probably didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity; his piety got in the way of charity.  The Levite may have feared bandits were using a decoy to ambush him; he put personal safety first.  We must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves.  Our love and concern must be active; intentions and empathy aren't enough.  Our love must be as wide and inclusive as God's.  We must be ready to do good to others for their sake.  Jesus showed how far God was willing to go to share our suffering and restore us.  True compassion takes others' pain on oneself to bring freedom and restoration.   His suffering brings us healing, restoration, and life....
    Dress legend
    • 'Scroll' pin:  Keep God's commandments written in the book of the Law (1st reading); "What's written in the law?" (gospel)
    • ♥ tie bar:  Return to the Lord with all your heart; the law is in your hearts (1st reading); may your hearts revive (psalm); the Lord's precepts rejoice the heart (alt. psalm); love God with all your heart (gospel)
    • 'Remote control' tie:  "This command I enjoin on you is not too 'remote' for you" (1st reading)
    • 'Musical note' tie pin:  Praise God in song (psalm)
    • 'Owl' pin:  The Lord's decree gives wisdom (alt. psalm)
    • 'Eyeball' pin:  The Lord's command enlightens the eye (alt. psalm)
    • Gold-colored accessories:  The Lord's ordinances are more precious than gold (alt. psalm)
    • Comb (in pocket, not shown):  The Lord's ordinances are sweeter than honey from the 'comb' (alt. psalm)
    • 'Cross' pin:  Christ Jesus made peace by the blood of his cross (2nd reading)
    • Purple shirt:  Samaritan poured wine over victim's wounds (gospel)
    • 'Coin' pin:  Samaritan gave silver coins to innkeeper for victim's care (gospel)
    Posted by at

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)