Reflection for October 6 Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 10:25-37

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus 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.”

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Reflection:

How do we express our love for God and neighbor?

 We express our love for God and our neighbor by caring for those who are in need, no matter who they may be. For as long as someone is in need, we are called to help. Yet, there are people who, even in their struggle, find it hard to ask for help. Some are too shy or have low self-esteem; others quietly suffer, hoping someone will notice and reach out.

 What should we do? We must be sensitive to their unspoken pain. We should not have hearts of stone, indifferent to the needs of others. Love calls us to act—to help even before being asked.

 The question of the scholar of the law is perhaps also our question before Jesus: “How can we inherit eternal life?” And Jesus leads us to the answer already written in the law: Love God and love our neighbor. These two are inseparable; they are the keys to eternal life.

 Jesus illustrated this truth through the story of the man attacked by robbers. As he lay wounded, a priest and a Levite—both respected figures—saw him but chose to pass by. Then came a Samaritan, someone considered an outsider, who was moved with compassion. He tended to the man’s wounds, brought him to an inn, and ensured he was cared for.

It’s not enough for us to merely say, “We love God and our neighbors.” These words are empty unless they are lived out in concrete acts of mercy. We breathe life into these commandments when we, too, become like the compassionate Samaritan—ready to see, to feel, and to respond to those in need.

Every act of kindness we do for others becomes our expression of love for God. When we reach out to the wounded, the lonely, the forgotten, the sick, we become living reflections of Christ’s love in the world.

Are we willing to be that compassionate Samaritan today—to go beyond words and let our love for God shine through our deeds of mercy? When we encounter someone in need, will we pass by, or will we stop and extend our hand in love? – Marino J. Dasmarinas