Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson
It can happen, so they tell me that the familiar opening words of a play, song or story can invite a certain drift to daydream. So, for example, a Sunday morning Mass goer, particularly one who hasn’t prepared the Scripture Readings beforehand, hears the words “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho” and a realization clicks in his/her mind: “Oh, this is the one about the Good Samaritan.” Almost immediately, images of a hearty Sunday breakfast after Mass start to form, or thoughts about a trip to the beach come to the fore.
Such is a real shame when it happens. That is because each new reading of Scripture, particularly of familiar passages, brings a new insight, or a new application to one’s life. That pesky neighbor who mows the grass early on a Saturday, the one day you can sleep in, is suddenly involved in a serious car accident. How do you react? “Am I supposed to be ‘the good Samaritan’ here?” we ask ourselves, and pay him a hospital visit?
And if I cling tightly to my prejudices about people of a different origin or skin color, am I giving in to a pre-Christian way of viewing other people?
If only this thing called “Christian living” weren’t so demanding! If only Jesus had never told this parable of the Good Samaritan, that we hear again today!
This short story is called “Two at the Counter.” Three minutes had elapsed since I had taken my seat at the counter. Waitresses passed me by; two cooks and a busboy took on notice of my presence. My ego was soothed only because the truck driver seated next to me was ignored the same way. “Maybe this counter is off limits,” I said to him. “Maybe they are short of help,” he responded.
“Maybe they don’t want our business,” I said. “Maybe they’re taking care of those at the tables,” was his reply. The hands on the clock continued to move. Maybe they don’t like us,” I insisted. “The air conditioning feels so good I don’t mind waiting,” he said.
At this point a harried waitress stopped to tell us that the water had been cut off, and the dish washer was not functioning. My nameless compatriot smiled; thanked the waitress; and left. I did not like him!
Three times I had sought his support for my obnoxious attitude, but he had let me down. Only later did I realize that he had chosen to practice what I preach.
God love you and give you His peace.
Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary
Reading I: Deuteronomy 30: 10-14
Moses dismisses any excuses of the people for disobedience to the Law. This Law is made present through frequent teaching of it and discussion of its commands.
Reading II: Colossians 1: 15-20
Christ makes the living God visible. As His only Son, He inherits all of creation. He is also head of the Church and directs its members in how to live.
The Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan, available only in Luke’s Gospel, presents both a moral and a theological lesson. The moral one: love of neighbor must accompany love of God. The theological one: The holiness of the New Testament requiring one to care for others.