HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
HOMILY THEME: FOLLOW THE COMMANDMENTS
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
HOMILY:
(Lk.10:25-37)
In the day’s Gospel Jesus was asked by a scholar how to inherit eternal life. “Follow the commandments,” was Jesus’ response. It involved loving God with our whole person and our neighbor as ourselves. The question of “Who is our neighbor?” was raised. Jesus responded with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It was controversial story since the victim was helped not by a Jew but by a Samaritan. It played the Jews in an embarrassing situation. The Samaritan, considered a Gentile, was not expected to out do the Jews. Nevertheless, the parable pointed out that the neighbor is not only the one in need but also the one helping those in need.
There will always be victims. Jesus reminds us of the need for more neighbours helping the needy. Our attitude must be pro active. We need not wait for calamities or encounters with the poor to be a neighbor. We seek them in our daily lives. There is urgency in this aspect of Christian life. Everyday there are people who will not eat a full day’s meal, sleep on pavements, dying without medicine or having been attended by doctors, victimized by robbers and snatchers, etc. Eternal life is not only attained by following the commandments and praying as intensely as we can but also reaching out to others and share what we have.
It is good also to be reminded that when we do help, like during calamities, let us not give what we do not need anymore. Used clothings maybe degrading to the needy. While beggars should not be choosers, donors can do better. Stories had been told about donations which were given for the sake of giving. Once, during our relief operations for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo, we received a trahe, suit, and a gown which may have been used for Santacruzan. Unfortunately, they were included in the relief given to some natives. Some had seen them wearing those donated clothings. Very embarrassing. We promised never to allow it again.
It is not enough that we intend to do good. We should see to it that the good we do will also be good for the beneficiary of our good deed. In the same way that the Samaritan helped the victim until he is in good health, we too must see to it that who we helped will really be helped by our best capacity.
