THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS IN THE GOOD SAMARITAN - 10/03/22 (Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time)

Luke 10:36-37

“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.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100322.cfm

Blessed Monday! Because of God's love for us, He is calling us to deepen our relationship with Him. Love should be the guide in our life, and the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors. One of the most famous parables of our Lord Jesus is the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable, we can actually see how these two great commandments can be fulfilled. 

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, strength and being. God is calling us to give everything we have to Him. Why should we do this? It's because He is worthy of our love, and the truth is that He's the One who gave His whole self to us. Jesus has given us His Sacred Heart, mind, strength and His whole being because He loves us. To follow the words of Christ, we need to empty our hearts and our whole selves. In the parable, the Samaritan helped the man who was beaten up and half-dead. In reality, this is a symbolism for us. Due to our grave sins before, we are as if spiritually half dead and beaten up. But, by His mercy, especially in the sacrament of confession and Mass, we become healed. Let's not be afraid to see our faults. May we be inspired to repent of our sins knowing that Jesus is moved by His compassion on the souls who see how dependent they are on God. And, let's also avoid thinking great of ourselves. Instead of thinking that we are virtuous and holy, may we praise God, give thanks to Him, and acknowledge that the virtues come from Him. 

The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The true "self-love" is not about just doing what we want to do in life or enjoying the satisfactions of the world. Instead, to love oneself means to love God with everything we have and to be humble. Why is this important? It's because as we see how merciful and loving God is for us, we can imitate Him and share His love for other people. We are called to love our neighbors and to be neighbors to them. How can we be neighbors to the people? As explained by Jesus, it's about treating people with mercy and doing as what He did for us. This may be difficult because we may be aware of the faults and sins of others, especially when they offend us. When we feel that we are tempted to be angry, let's spend time in silence in our prayer and reflect on why we feel it. By being more humble, we can forgive them, and we can bear their faults knowing that Christ has always been patient for us. Let's also pray for parents that they may be good models for their children. If their children can see that their parents are merciful and patient with them, these children can learn the love that God has for them. May we all be faithful to love God and our neighbors in our thoughts, words and deeds. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Amazing Testimony on Rosary:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FFyRwJBExMk

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls