Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Finding Love in All Things
We can come up with tons of excuses not to love. We can claim that someone’s ideas or political affiliation make them undeserving of our love. We can claim that someone’s past mistakes make them unworthy of our love. We can let our biases and preconceived notions tell us that we already know everything we need to know about the other person and we can write them off before we ever risk entering into a relationship. However, the greatest commandment is not to be the most correct or to make sure to hangout with only those on our perceived “team”. The greatest commandment is only to love. When you encounter your own personal Samaritans, people who we forget were hated for their differences, can you check your ideas at the door and choose to love them, or will you simply write them off as being unrighteous sinners? Choose to love everyone and you’ll find love in all things.
—Alex Hale, SJ, is a Jesuit regent teaching Social Studies and Religion at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Prayer
Lord, teach me to be generous
Teach me to serve you as you deserve
To give and not to count the cost
To fight and not to heed the wounds
To toil and not to seek for rest
To labor and not to ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that I do your will
—Prayer for Generosity of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Pray with the Pope
Pray with the monthly prayer intentions of the pope.