DAILY HOMILIES #good samaritan

Helping others is not some leisure activity we do when we are in the mood. It is a COMMAND. If all we do is amuse ourselves and gossip about the misfortunes of others, then we are not truly Christians. Jesus played Good Samaritan when he decided to be born as a man to live among us and die for our sake. We must do likewise.

Whatever may have caused the priest and the Levite to pass this man by, Jesus did not tell us but Jesus only mentioned that they failed to help the man. When it comes to helping the needy, no excuse is valid. Think of this, that person you see in need of your help today may just be your last chance. He or she may have been sent your way to test you. Do not keep on till tomorrow what you can do today. One thing that tends to prevent us from helping others is bitterness. You may have been hurt in the past, perhaps in your attempt to be kind to others, they repaid your good with evil, and so on. Remember, that person may just be you and you too would expect someone to help you. As Moses tells us in our first reading, we don’t need somebody to go to heaven to bring down God’s commandments, they are right in our hearts. Listen to your heart. Follow your conscience. Help, don’t hinder. Go and do like the Samaritan.

his Good Samaritan is the direct opposite of Jonah, he teaches us how to live by caring for our neighbours. They say, “if you want to walk fast, walk alone but if you must walk far, walk with someone.” Do not be a loner. It is dangerous to be alone; to live in a world of “I, my and myself.”