A
man was once on his way
travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho who fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and
then made off,leaving him half dead. Now, a priest happened to be travelling on
the same road,but when he saw the man,he passed by on the other side. In the
same way a Levite who came to the place saw him,and passed by on the other
sside. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him . He went up and
bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on them and lifted on to his mount,
carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two dinari and handed them
to the innkeeper. ”Look after him,” he said ”and on my way back I will make good
any extra expense you have.”
Jesus used this parable not
only to teach us how we should treat each other if we are to be good neighbors.
The Bishop helps us understand better the parable .
The man who was going down is Adam .
Garden of Paradise – Heavenly
Jerusalem
The Brigands/Thieves – they
are symbols of demonic powers
His wounds are our wounds,
the pain and suffering which results from being alienated from God. The priest is the priesthood
of Aaron –
and the Levites represent the law of the Old Testament. Moses gave both the
temple and the law. Neither of
these could save the stricken
man. Now comes Jesus the Good Samaritan, is the Sacrament of God’s love . He
gave us oil and wine for the healing of our deadly spiritual wounds and infirmities..
The Inn is God’s church where we find everything for our healing and
recovery. The innkeeper is the image of the church’s priests and preachers,
they whom God charged to care for us.
The two valuable coins represent sacred scriptures and traditions the sources of divine
revelation. When he returns refers to the
final coming and reckoning
Ø Jesus in the
Sacraments comes upon us , the wounded traveller:
1. He
sees us with compassion as we go through the rumble and tumble of life. He
accompanies us we travel through life.
2. Jesus
Approaches us, he offers us,invites us to come and find rest in Him.
3. Pours
his graces upon us as we listen to His words and receive the Sacraments
4. He
bandages our wounds with his grace,with his mercy and forgiveness
5. Carries
us when we are tired and find life burdensome
6. Brings
us,leads us To the Inn, to the bosom of
His Church where we are secured
7. And
to further Care for us,nourish us, strengthen us and sanctify us
8. When
he left to go to God , He left us
with a helper,the Holy Spirit to ensure
that we enjoy good health and experience continues healing.
Ø Jesus
told the lawyer, “Go and do likewise” Jesus tells us to do the same and how?
He
tells, us,
·
Love God + neighbor
·
Take care of those in need
·
Take a risk to offer help
·
Take care of those who are a
different group from your group.
Ø Who
are those in need we have to help?:
o Gays
o Lesbians
o Victims
of Aids
o Psychologically
wounded
o The
children
o The
vulnerable sectors
o The
OFW and their families,
o The
lost,the least and the last
o Victims
of calamities,injustices and violence
Ø Who
then is a good Neighbor?
è one
who is to be loved
è One
who loves
è Compassionate
è Attentive
to all
è Affectionate