"Then go and do the same."

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Deuteronomy 30:10-14

 For you shall turn to Yahweh,

Your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and observe his commandments and norms, in a word, everything written in this book of the Law.

These commandments that I give you today are neither too high nor too far for you.   They are not in heaven that you should say: “Who will go up to heaven to get these command­ments that we may hear them and put them into practice.”   Neither are they at the other side of the sea for you to say: “Who will cross to the other  side and bring them to us, that we may hear them and put them into practice.”

 On the contrary, my word is very near you; it is already in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can put it into practice.

 

Ps 69:14, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37

Turn to the Lord in your reed, and you will live.

 

   ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Colossians 1:15-20

 He is the image of the unseen God, and for all creation he is the firstborn, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible: thrones, rulers, authorities, powers… All was made through him and for him.

 He is before all and all things hold together in him.  And he is the head of the body, that is the Church, for he is the first, the first rais­ed from the dead that he may be the first in everything, for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him.  Through him God willed to reconcile all things to himself,

and through him, through his blood shed on the cross, God establishes peace, on earth as in heaven.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

Luke 10:25-37

 Then a teacher of the Law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, “Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?”   Jesus replied, “What is written in the Scripture? How do you understand it?”   The man answered, “It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”   Jesus replied, “What a good answer! Do this and you shall live.”   The man wanted to keep up appearances, so he replied, “Who is my neighbor?”

 Jesus then said, “There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

 It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side.  Like­wise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side.   But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion.   He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrap­ped them with bandages. Then he put him on his own mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him.

The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him: ‘Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back.’”

Jesus then asked, “Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”   The teacher of the Law answered, “the one who had mercy on him.” And Jesus said, “Go then and do the same.”

 

 Gospel Reflection：

Letting Oneself be Moved

Read:

The Commandments of God are written in our hearts, as natural law. Christ is the Firstborn who models for us how to live God’s Law. The parable of the Good Samaritan taches us how to put God’s commandment to practice.

Reflect:

When the Samaritan saw the wounded man, he was moved with compassion. The Greek word used for this being moved with compassion is “splagchnizomai.” This word according to theologian James Allison, is “the parable’s bombshell.” The noun form “splagchna” was used in Greek literature to designate the inner parts (bowels) of a blood sacrifice.

When the heart was cut out during a sacrificial ritual, it was called a splagchna. It later became a generic term for the inner organs. Hence, using the word to refer to being moved implies a gut-wrenching reaction.

In other words, the compassion of the Samaritan is not a reasoned-out, calculated decision based on an analysis of pros and cons, but an innate, spontaneous reaction emerging from his entrails, which moves him into action. “Go and do the same” is an invitation to make empathic compassion one’s core nature.

Pray:

Pray for the grace of empathy-the capacity to be moved by the needs of others.

Act:

Do anyone of the fourteen works of mercy, as taught by the Church.