IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

Homily for the 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Fr. Marcel Emeka Divine Okwara CSsR

African Catholic Community in Memphis

August 1, 2010

Sisters and brothers, let me begin by telling you a story about a man called Joe. Joe worked in a factory in town, but also had a small farm of 30 acres where he planted vegetables that he and his wife Shirley would sell at a roadside stand. Now Joe would get up early in the morning to work on his farm; after which he would go to town to work at the factory. And when he returned home in the evening, he would work in his farm till nightfall. At night, as they sat down to eat dinner, Joe’s wife Shirley would say to him, “Joe, we are really blessed, see our vegetables grow so well. People buy everything we grow.”

But Joe was not satisfied. He wanted more land. Shortly afterward he borrowed some money and bought another 30 acres next to his property. With this, Joe spent more hours in the morning and even in the evening working in his farm because of the extra 30 acres of land he purchased. Still he kept his job at the factory. Joe’s farm was doing really well, and people were buying everything he and his wife brought to their roadside store. One night after returning late from the fields Joe’s wife said, “Joe, God has been good to us. The warm sun and the abundant rainfall have filled our stand, and still people buy all we grow.”

But Joe was not satisfied. He wanted more land. Soon afterward Joe was able to buy another 140 acres for his farm. This time he quit his job at the factory so he could work full time on the farm. But even though he worked full time- there were not enough hours of the day to get everything done. Then one night, his ever grateful wife again said to him “Joe, I don’t think there is anyone more fortunate than us. Our fields are full and we sell everything we grow.”

But Joe was not satisfied. Soon he was able to buy another 250 acres of land. He closed his roadside stand, hired people to help out and manage the farm. He built refrigerated storage buildings to store his crops. His wife worked on the books. One night after retiring from work, Joe’s wife Shirley said to him “God is so good to us, Joe. See, we don’t lack anything.”

Again, Joe was not satisfied. He started complaining “I do not have enough land. If I can buy land in the south, we could grow crops that our climate will not allow.” Soon Joe was able to buy 300 acres of land in the south. He started driving back and forth between farms and working long hours on weekends. After a very long day, Joe suffered a heart attack and died. He was buried in a small cemetery plot, seven feet long, four feet wide, and six feet deep. That was just enough land!

Dearest beloved, in today’s gospel taken from Luke 12: 13-21, Jesus speaks about the root-cause of sin, suffering and death. Our insatiable desires, unsatisfactory craving, thirst, attachment to transitory things lead us to sin. Sin comes from the quest to acquire what one does not have and from not being satisfied with what one has. We always want more- more security, more respect, more beauty, more money, more clothes, more knowledge, more recognition and fame, more health, and more power. All these desires and cravings lead to us to sin.

The gospel begins with the story of a man from the crowd who said to Jesus “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” It seems that the man’s older brother had refused to give him what he felt was due to him. The law of inheritance in Jesus’ day stipulated that the older brother would receive a double portion of the legacy, then whatever remains will be shared by the rest. For whatever reason this man was feeling cheated, and he wanted the Rabbi of all Rabbis, Jesus to deliver judgment that will favor him. But settling land disputes was not the reason why Jesus came, and he refused to be dragged into it. But from the man’s request came an opportunity for Jesus to lay down what his followers’ attitude to material things should be. Jesus had something to say both to those who had an abundant supply of material possessions and to those who had not.

With the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus speaks to those who have an abundant supply of possessions. He tells them not to be like the rich fool in the parable who never saw beyond himself. The rich fool was obviously a man of I, me, my, and mine. He was aggressively self-centered. After accruing so much wealth, more than he actually needed, the one thing that never entered his head was to give some away. His entire action was the very opposite of Christianity. Instead of showing appreciation to God, the source of everything that is good, by giving some of his wealth away to the needy, he showed appreciation to himself. Instead of finding joy in giving, he was aggressively selfish and happy to “rest, eat, drink, and merry.” Now due to his refusal to acknowledge God, and due to his refusal to think of the little guy, instant judgment was pronounced on him: “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

If you are wealthy, do not be scared. Do not think that Jesus is anti-riches. Jesus is not against the rich. After all, the book of Haggai 2: 8 says “Silver and gold belong to God.” Even though sometimes we erroneously claim to own this and that, but all the treasures of this world belong to God. Even though Satan claims to own this world, let us always remember that the world was created by God. The 2 Corinthians 4: 4 says that the earth belongs to God. Brethren, the Lord is not against the wealthy. But he is against the pride and the arrogance of the rich. He is against their refusal to appreciate and acknowledge God as the source of all they have. The book of Deuteronomy 8: 18 says “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” Jesus is against the selfishness of the rich; he is against the way they use their money to control and dominate the poor. The 2 Corinthians 9: 11 says “You will be made rich every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” No matter how intelligent and successful you are, God is still responsible for all your excellence and for every means to make a living. Are you a farmer? You plant God’s seeds in God’s earth, and rely upon God’s rain and sunshine to ripen them to harvest. Are you an auto-worker? All the steels, glass, rubber, plastic, oil, and gasoline are products from God’s earth. Are you a medical doctor, a nurse, a teacher, a banker, a financial consultant, a craftsman? Your intelligence, talent, and skill to work is given by God. God has given you your brain, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, fingers, legs, and feet that you use to earn a living. Even the silver and copper in our coins, and the wood pulp in our paper currency comes from God’s earth. So it is extremely fair to show gratitude to God. And one of the ways of showing appreciation to God is sharing with others, giving back to human community and not to conserve and accumulate for the I, me, mine and myself.

With the parable, Jesus warns us not to be like the rich fool who never saw beyond this world. He made all his plans on the basis of life here. He did not consider the meaning and the purpose of human life. He refused to consider that just as the sun rises, it will also set. He did not think about the different stages of life, that his life would some day expire. The Rich Fool was ignorant of the fact that "when all is said and done, there is just one thing that matters, did he do his best to live for truth, and did he live his life for God." He was ignorant of the fact that "when all is said and done, when all the treasures will mean nothing, only what one has done for love’s reward, will stand the test of time."

Dearest beloved, do not forget our destiny. We came from God, and ought to return to God. Do not let earthly treasures that are transient constitute obstacles to our homeward journey to God. Material prosperity is good, but spiritual prosperity is greater. Earthly achievement is good, but attainment of heaven is greater. The Celebration of wealth in the form of eating, drinking and partying is not necessarily a bad thing, but the enjoyment of God is greater. No wonder our brother St. Augustine made the distinction between enjoyment and use: “Some things are to be enjoyed, others to be used, and there are others which are to be used and enjoyed. Those things which are to be enjoyed make us blessed. Those things which are to be used help and, as it were, sustain us as we move toward blessedness in order that we may gain and cling to those things which make us blessed…To enjoy something is to cling to it with love, for its own sake. To use something, however, is to employ it in obtaining that which you love, provided it is worthy of love.” For St. Augustine, the only “thing” worthy of his love, the only “thing” to be enjoyed for its own sake is God. Whatever we do, remember this enduring and perennial quotation of our brother, St. Augustine: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him is the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.”

In this gospel, Jesus also speaks to those who have few possessions. He warns against anxious thought or worry. Do not slip into depression because you do not have extravagant wealth. All that Jesus expects from us is to do our best and then leave the rest to God. If God cares about the lilies and the birds, giving them rain and sunshine to blossom, how much more will he care for us? All fingers are not of the same height and size; not everyone will be massively wealthy. But Jesus expects that we “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Turn your life to obeying God’s will, and I assure you that God will not abandon you. If you are a friend of God, you can “Call upon him in the day of your trouble, and he will surely come to deliver you, so that you honor him all the more” (Psalm 50: 15). While so many people will use all their effort piling up wealth that are transitory, work for the things which last forever, things which you are not going to leave behind when you leave this earth, but which you can take with you. Remember, it’s not all about the money. God’s matters matter.

ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK

Homily for 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

St. John’s Church, Lamar Avenue & Holy Names Church, Keel Avenue

Memphis, TN, USA

July 25, 2010

I once asked my Eight Grade students who they would like to talk to. Before I could finish, a student shouted “I will like to talk to President Obama.” Another said “I will like to talk to his wife, Michelle Obama.” Yet another said, “I will like to talk to Beyonce.” Every one of them has someone important and famous in the society that he or she would like to talk to. But one student amazed us. She said “It will be nice to talk to the President, but the most important person to talk to is God. Talking to all those people is nothing compared to talking to God. This morning I talked to God, and that is the greatest.”

During the last Lenten season, I was hearing Confession at St. Francis of Assisi Church. A fourteen year white girl came in. She told me in tears how frustrated she has been due to God’s failure to talk to her. “Father, I have been praying and talking to God; I have been begging him to speak to me. I want to hear God talk to me. But God hasn’t,” she said to me. I thanked God that I encountered this godly teenager who has been asking, seeking, and knocking on the door of heaven to hear the voice of God. I remember telling her that God has actually been speaking to her: “God speaks to you particularly through your parents, teachers and your priests,” I said to her.

Dearest in Christ Jesus, the two stories I have shared with you are about two young people who understands the vital importance of prayer. Prayer is said to be “the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.” Prayer is seeking union with God. Prayer is “touching God.” Prayer is a conversation between the believer and God. Conversation as you know involves two or more persons. There must be talking and listening. When you talk to God, God listens; God too has something to say to you. So after talking to him, you need to listen to hear what God has to say to you. When we pray, we are telling God that our lives are dependent on Him; and when we don’t pray, we are telling God just the opposite.

In today’s gospel taken from Luke 11: 1-13, Jesus speaks about prayer. Jesus himself was at prayer: “Jesus was praying in a certain place…” (Luke 11: 1a). The disciples have long been watching Jesus pray. So on this day of prayer (as I always describe it), they decided to approach him with a request “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11: 1b). It is important to consider the request of Jesus’ disciples more closely because it teaches us the kind of disciples they were, and the kind of disciples we should be. It is imperative to consider that the disciple who made the request on behalf of others did not say “Lord, pray for us.” His request was “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” For Christians who run around looking for someone to pray for them without making any effort to pray, this gospel passage is addressed to you. It is good to ask others to pray for you especially those who have special gifts- gifts of healing, working miracles, gift of faith, discerning of spirits, prophecy etc. You can ask your priest to pray for; you can ask your pastor to pray for you; you can ask a Charismatic healer to pray for you; you can ask a team of firebrand Christians to pray for you. In spiritual matters that deserve a spiritual warfare, like healing the family tree, breaking curses and covenants, breaking the yoke and shackles of one step forward, three steps backwards, childlessness, early death running through a family, generational infirmity, generational and lifelong spinsterhood and bachelorhood, spiritual war against the forces of darkness (i.e. Satan, demons, occultic powers, mermaid spirits, witches/wizards, evil men and women who use Satanic powers to hurt others, rendering impotent charms and amulets), you can ask a team of faithful and powerful Christians who are sincerely functioning with and in the holy Name of Jesus to assist you in waging war against evil men and women that trouble you. You can seek assistance in waging war against these satanic agents who come “only to steal, to kill and to destroy.” But asking for the prayers of others does not dispense you from being a man or a woman of prayer. You must know how to pray! You must learn to pray! You must pray! The way of prayer is an inevitable and unavoidable way a Christian must walk along if you must remain a faithful Christian. It is in prayer that you encounter the Lord in a most supreme way. It is in prayer that the Lord assures you of his constant presence. It is in prayer that the Lord shows you the way to walk. It is in prayer that your union and relationship with Jesus is strengthened. Prayer is touching God; it is in prayer that you draw spiritual currents to shine out as the light of Christ made present in the world. In prayer, your tastefulness as the salt of the earth is deepened. So after asking others to pray for you, you must pray if you must remain a faithful disciple who can weather every storm.

After the request has been made by one of the disciples “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples,” Jesus taught them what has come to be known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Although we pray this prayer “Our Father” each time we celebrate Mass, but it is also important to understand that this prayer is simply an outline or a summary for prayer. Jesus was basically us to do the following when we pray:

Acknowledge God: Our Father who art in heaven;

Praise God: Hallowed be thy name;

Ask to do God’s will: Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;

Make request: Give us this day, our daily bread;

Confess your sins: Forgive us our sins (trespasses), as we forgave those who sin (trespass) against us;

Pray for protection and to overcome temptations: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil;

End your prayer praising him and thanking for answering your prayer: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.

Dearest beloved, as we can see, most of our prayers should not always take on the request part; we should also praise God for his greatness. We should thank God for God’s many blessings; we should also remember to tell God how disobedient we have been, and ask for forgiveness. So the Lord’s Prayer has all the outline of prayers and that makes it one of the most beautiful prayers to survive generations after generations.

In Jesus’ theology of prayer, persistence and insistence are vitally important. Persistence in prayer tests our resolve. It strengthens our faith and reliance on God. With the story of a man who ran to another friend at night when he had a visitor, asking for three loaves of bread in order to feed a friend who had come to his house from a journey, Jesus explains what we should do in time of need and difficulty. Like that man, we should learn to run to God for help. Now if our request is not being granted immediately, Jesus urges us not to give up, but to continue to knock on the door ceaselessly. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11: 9).

In today’s gospel, Jesus makes a promise to all those who seek: “You will find.” But you may not find the exact thing you were looking for, but what you get is surely going to be the perfect will of God for you. When we pray to the good God, we must be open to the fact that our way may not be God’s way; our will may not be God’s will. And that certainly is what prayer is all about. It is seeking God’s answer for the struggles of our lives.

To the one who knocks, Jesus promised an open door. If the man who came to his friend for three loaves of bread did not go away, we too should not go away when our prayer request has not been answered. And if the friend eventually came out and attended to the need of his friend, the good God too will not hesitate to open the door and pour out his many blessings on the one who is asking, seeking and knocking. We do not like to be pestered upon. But God welcomes it.

Finally, Jesus asks us to ask. Prayer involves asking as well. Jesus talks about a human father who would not give his child a serpent when he/she asks for a fish. When a child asks for a piece of meat, no human father will hand him/her a spider. The father will always give to the child whatever he/she asks for as long as it is what the father can give. But suppose the child asks for something that the father knows would be harmful and injurious to the child, is the father obliged to give what would harm his child? Hell no! Some of you will scream.

Friends, let us remember to bring all our worries, concerns, aspirations, needs, and challenges to the Lord. Pray in season and out of season! Pray always and do not loose heart. Keep on praying in the Spirit. Don’t quit half way. You are nearer to having your prayers answered. Don’t give up now!

May God bless you today, bless you tomorrow, bless you everyday, and bless forever!

LISTEN TO THE LORD OF WORK BEFORE YOU SERVE HIM

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

St. Joseph’s Church & Holy Names Church

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Rev. Buck Neely was a missionary working in an interior African village. In a few years he had baptized many people and built a church, a school and a health centre. Due to his restless work schedule he took ill and had to be flown back to his native country in Europe for treatment. After few months he returned to Africa. To his surprise and utter disappointment he discovered that the whole village had abandoned his church and turned to a local evangelical preacher. Even the church he built now had an evangelical signboard in front of it. “What went wrong?” he asked himself. “How did my flourishing mission collapse overnight?” “What did I do wrong?” he asked his former church members. One day a woman decided to unleash the truth. She said to him, “Reverend Neely, you are a good man; you did a lot for us. You gave our children clothes and built up our village, and we really appreciate your charity. But there was one thing you failed to do. You did not bring us to know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. You did not lead us to an encounter with the Good Shepherd” (Not a true life story).

Dearest in Christ Jesus, doing the work of the Lord is great. But knowing the Lord of the work is even greater and comes first. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, attending to the needs of the poor is really good, but a relationship with Jesus who identifies with the poor comes first. Social work for the sake of God is good, but an encounter with the Lord of work comes first.

Today’s gospel taken from Luke 10: 38-42 is about the story of two women, two sisters. Both sisters loved the Lord; the Lord himself loved the two sisters. According to the Scripture, Martha and Mary lived with their brother Lazarus in the village of Bethany. It was their brother Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead. In the gospel of John the close relationship between Jesus and this family is well emphasized. While telling the story of the raising of Lazarus, John says that Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill” (John 11: 3). Jesus had a special place in his hearth for Lazarus. John also says that, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11: 5). Looking closely at the Gospels, we find that Jesus and his disciples usually stayed in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus when they came to Jerusalem. So their home offered Jesus a place of relaxation, a place to hangout.

In today’s gospel, Jesus again was a visitor to this family. As I said before, both sisters loved Jesus and each in her own way wanted to demonstrate her love for Jesus. Martha, the eldest in the house wanted to fix some food for Jesus. She was busy with the work of the Lord, and there is nothing wrong with that. But her sister Mary, like a first time lover, wanted to spend every second, minute and hour with Jesus. For Mary, sitting at the foot of Jesus, listening to him and keeping him company as well was her own way of demonstrating her love for Jesus. For Martha, service comes first; for Mary relationship comes first. Like the missionary Reverend in our story, Martha must have been surprised to hear the Lord say that it is relationship with him that comes first, for without it, our service is meaningless.

Many preachers and priests usually present Martha in a bad light. But Martha and Mary are two sisters who intensely loved the Jesus. Both sisters are interested in the Lord, and both wanted to please him. The difference in the two is the manner in which they go about trying to please the Lord. For Martha, service or working for the Lord comes first; for Mary, being with the Lord of work, and establishing relationship with him takes precedent

Today’s human society has many people like Martha. They volunteer at school and hospital, sit on the board of non-profit agencies, they are active in fraternal orders and community organizations. At the place of work, they work so hard, and do because they want to make a difference in life. They care about their children and the children of others. But in the effort to provide for their family, they get distracted by many tasks. Just as Martha’s many tasks distracted her from her relationship with Jesus and her sister, the many Marthas of today can be easily distracted by the various tasks they undertake. This distraction affects their availability to their family. And in their thinking, they are doing all these to provide for their family, and demonstrate how much they love their family. But experience has shown that it is only a matter of time before things get out of hand. As you run around in the kitchen of the world just to feed your family, just as Martha did in her own kitchen in Bethany in order to feed the hungry Jesus, you need to realize that your everyday and every time business in the kitchen of the world can affect your relationship with your family. Sometimes, what your family needs is your being around with them in the kitchen table discussing or in the sitting room watching TV and chatting freely. Martha’s food was not enough to win the Lord’s praise; the comfort you provide for your family may not be enough to win their respect and love. Jesus needed both Martha and Mary to chat with; your family needs you to stay around them. It is not surprising that it was Mary, the one who made herself present and available that got the highest praise and commendation from Jesus, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

The crux or punchline of this story of Jesus, Mary and Martha is all about the balance of our time. The book of Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun. Now, this is my own Ecclesiastes:

There is a time to be at work, and a time to be with your family.

There is a time to chat with co-workers and boss, and a time to chat with your children and spouses.

There is a time to read the newspaper on your own, and a time to watch TV with your family.

There is a time to be on the phone, and a time to engage your family in meaningful conversation.

There is a time of devotion to earthly matters, and a time for heavenly matters.

There is a time to spend with friends, and a time to spend with God with your family.

There is a time for party, and a time for profound reflection on the meaning, significance and purpose of life.

There is a time to quarrel with your spouse and children, and a time to make up and bridge the gap.

There is a time to say “Why me Lord?” and a time to say “Thank you Lord!”

There is a time to marry, and a time to think about “Why did I get married?”

There is a time to eat and drink, and a time to think about why I eat and drink.

There is a time to talk and laugh, and a time to just relax and be.

There is a time to complain about your family, and a time to appreciate your family.

Today’s gospel is not an invitation to choose between Mary and Martha. A disciple of Jesus Christ needs to be both Martha and Mary. But this gospel challenges us to set our priorities right, to see that fellowship and relationship with Jesus, being with Jesus and hearing his Word, especially at Mass, precede the work we do for the Lord. This gospel challenges us to strive to remember that there is a time for everything. When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, he wanted just their attention; he wanted just a relaxational conversation with them. Martha did not get that. Mary did! Remember, there is a time to feed the Lord (in our own case in the poor and in the human society), but there is a time to allow the Lord to feed us. As we saw in the gospel today, feeding the Lord (in our own case, in the poor and in the human society) ranks below the feeding of us by the Lord. It is good to feed the Lord; Jesus did not condemn Martha for choosing to feed him. He only raised concern because by choosing to feed him, Mary got distracted from choosing what is most supreme in her life. He acknowledged Mary who chose to be fed by him: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

You need to allow the Lord to feed you!

May God bless you today, bless you tomorrow, bless you every day of your life and bless you eternally!

WHAT KIND OF NEIGHBOR ARE YOU?

WHAT KIND OF NEIGHBOR ARE YOU?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

The Church of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Today’s gospel taken from Luke 10: 25-37 is about the dialogue between Jesus and a lawyer. The gospel says that “the scholar of the law stood up to test Jesus” with a question: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” But Jesus directed the question back to him and reminded him that he is an authority on God’s law: “(Tell me) what is written in the law? How do you read it? The lawyer answered by quoting the “Great Commandments”-

You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus acknowledged his knowledge of the Law, but immediately pointed out that the knowledge of the law is not enough. That knowledge must be concretized, it must be lived out: You have answered correctly; do this and you will live. But the lawyer seeking to justify himself and also to test Jesus even further asked “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus was not ready to waste his time giving a dictionary definition of the word “neighbor.” He decided to tell him a parable that will not only elucidate the point he was making but will also humble the lawyer.

A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.

Then Jesus asked the learned man “Which of these three, in your opinion was neighbor to the robber’s victim? Now because the Jewish people despised and hated the Samaritans, the lawyer couldn't even say “It is the Samaritan,” he rather said “The one who treated him with mercy.” In order to teach and humble the proud Jewish lawyer, Jesus said to him “Go and do likewise.” This means, “Even though you have no regard for the Samaritans, you call them half-breeds, you consider them to be racially inferior to you just because they intermarry with the Assyrians, but in this case, you must imitate him if you want to enter heaven.” Jews hated the Samaritans worse than they hated the Romans even though they shared a common ancestry. Jews disregarded the Samaritans because they worshipped Baal instead of Yahweh. In their opinion “Outside the worship of Yahweh, there is no salvation.” “There is no other name and no other way by which anyone can be saved, except the name of Yahweh and the way of Judaism.” Does this sound familiar to you? For centuries the Catholic Church wrongly claimed that “Outside the Catholic Church, there is no salvation.” It was only at Vatican II that the Church recognized that the “Spirit blows wherever it wills” therefore Protestants, Pentecostals, Hindu, Buddhists, Traditionalists, and even atheists (who follow their conscience) can be saved. A member of the Samaritan race viewed as hell bound by the Jews is the one to be imitated by a learned Jew in order to be saved. “Gosh!” The lawyer would have said.

This parable has some things to teach us. First, the traveler must have been either ignorant of the dangerousness of traveling on that road alone or he was an irresponsible and unwise fellow. People avoided travelling the Jerusalem to Jericho road alone, especially if they were carrying goods or other valuables. Some scholars blame the Samaritan man for the plight in which he found himself.

Secondly, the parable tells us that a priest happened to be going down that road. But he ignored a needy and dying man. When we read this text, we obviously blamed the priest. We may have called him names for his insensitivity. Some would even say “Shame on you. You are not supposed to be a priest.” But wait a minute! The priest did not ignore the dying man because he was a bad priest. At that moment, he had remembered the stipulation of the law that says “Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days.” The man beaten by robbers may have been motionless, so the passing priest chose to be ritually clean over the man that needed help. To touch him would mean losing his turn of duty in the Temple. The priest like many of us priests chose liturgical correctness and accuracy above the virtue of charity. Just like that priest, the Church and its liturgical rubrics meant more to some of us priests than the anguish of a person.

After the priest had passed, likewise a Levite came to the place. Just like the priest, the Levite also passed by on the opposite side. The Levites were also officials of the Temple, though subordinate to the priests. The tribe of Levi was set apart to tend to the priestly functions when the twelve tribes of Israel were first established. In the time of Jesus, Levites were saddled among other things, with the keeping of Temple treasury. So this Levite that passed by on the opposite side may be carrying a large sum of money. Bandits were in the habit of using tricks. One of them would pretend to be wounded, and when an unsuspecting traveler stopped over him to help, others hiding very close by would jump on him and overpower him. But there was a man who was not afraid of robbers, or kidnappers. He was ready to lay down his life and treasure to save another’s life.

When those who claimed to serve the living God had all passed, one man from a tribe and race considered to be doomed emerged. When the so called religious people who ought to know that faith is worthless without the obedience of faith, i.e. good deeds ignored the needy man, someone who would be considered “a pagan, a heretic, a non-believer” appeared and declared by his action “show me your faith, and I will show you my good deeds” (James 2: 18). A Samaritan man showed up and demonstrated that the human life is sacred. He attended to the beaten man, bandaged his wounds, took him where he would be taken care of and even paid the bills.

So in this parable the hero wasn’t the priest or the Levi, or the Jews. The hero was a member of a despised race- the Samaritan man. It wasn’t the priests, or the Levites, or even the Jews who held the pathway to the Kingdom of God, but whomever God chose to call, including a lowly Samaritan.

The scholar of law wanted to know who his neighbor was: “And who is my neighbor?” He wanted to define neighbor in reference to others. But Jesus defined neighbor in reference to him. He is also defining neighbor in reference to us. As far as Jesus is concerned, neighbor is not the object of the sentence, but the subject. Therefore, the question is no longer “Who is my neighbor?” rather, “What kind of neighbor am I?” The neighbor is not just the man on the side of the road; it is not just the woman sitting on the margins of the society; the neighbor is the man standing before Jesus; it is also that voice of conscience that speaks from within us.

After the lawyer had answered correctly “The one who treated him (i.e. the man beaten by robbers) with mercy” was the true neighbor, Jesus urged him “Go, and do likewise.” Jesus’ answer can be interpreted as follows:

i. We must be willing to help someone even when he was responsible for his/her plight.

ii. The needy are our neighbor.

iii. The help we render must be practical and not just merely feeling sorry. Saying “You are in my thoughts and prayers” is not enough. Feeling sorry is not enough. I am sure the priest and the Levite must have felt sorry for the wounded man. They must have said a prayer in their hearts as they walked away, but then, they did nothing. For compassion to be real, it must be demonstrated in deeds.

iv. Since our neighbor includes the voice of conscience speaking within us “Do good and avoid evil,” we must strive to pay attention and listen to it, and carry out its bidding.

Dearest friends, as I said earlier on, the question today is no longer “Who is my neighbor?” rather “What kind of neighbor are you?” What Jesus said to the lawyer at the end of their dialogue, he also says to us today “Go, and do likewise.” Doing likewise will determine the kind of neighbor we are.

God bless you all today, bless you tomorrow, bless you everyday of your life on earth, and bless you forevermore! Amen!