15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)

Community Word
We are called to be laborers in God’s Kingdom to produce abundant harvest.

Theme  
We produce abundant harvest when we extend love and mercy without discrimination.

Promise    
“The Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds, he spurns not.”  (Ps 69:34)

Reflection:      
A true disciple of Christ is one who is compassionate and willingly goes out of his/her way to help those in need, regardless of inconvenience to himself/herself, with no preference, bias or distinction, and with no expectation of reward.

“Who is my neighbor?” (Lk: 10:29b), you may well ask.  Neighbors are not only those who are near and dear to us – family members, relatives or friends – but anyone in need: the helpless, the powerless, the poor, the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf (whether physically or spiritually handicapped).  Anyone who has nothing much in life, be it material, emotional, or spiritual.  Our theme this week says: We produce abundant harvest when we extend love and mercy without discrimination.

How do I know that I am a true neighbor to others? The parable of the Good Samaritan conveys the different attitudes and responses of people when confronted with a situation that requires mercy and compassion.  Surprisingly, help comes from an unlikely source.  The gospel ends with an exhortation:“Go and do likewise,” (Lk: 10:37b.  The Samaritan is called ‘good,’ because despite the traditional enmity between Jews and Samaritans, he went out of his way to help the victim, a Jew, unlike the others who passed by and chose to ignore the victim. The Samaritan did not discriminate against the Jew, but instead showed love and concern for a ‘neighbor.’

To love a neighbor in need is to help out, give the neighbor opportunity to heal, recover, to be delivered from difficulties.  A true ‘neighbor’ would do something to help alleviate the suffering/s of the helpless, no matter how great a sacrifice, or inconvenience it might entail.  The Good Samaritan did not just have sympathy for the victim, but showed his compassion by ensuring that the man got the necessary help to survive.  To love is to bear one’s burden.  To love is not to abandon or run away from responsibilities.  To love is to be available and not make excuses when love becomes too demanding, or inconvenient.  To love knows no bounds.  The Good Samaritan went out of his way to help without counting the cost:“Take care of him.  If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back,” (Lk10: 35).

Love of God and service to our neighbor cannot be separated; they go hand in hand.  One cannot love God without loving one’s neighbor, for the two greatest commandments of the Lord are, to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.  Doing so qualifies us for eternal life –“Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me,” (Mt 25:40).  To love God is to devote oneself to prayer and worship in true adoration, and to cultivate a personal relationship with God.  But in practice, we cannot genuinely love God without loving our neighbor.  But there are times when loving our neighbor is not easy. We need God’s grace to cleanse our intentions, inspire us to understand the value of sacrifice and strengthen us to extend His kind of love to people we find difficult to love and situations that are hard to accept.

As modern day laborers in God’s vineyard, one way of sharing our love and compassion is by performing works of mercy, both spiritual and corporal. There are seven spiritual works we can practice, namely: to convert the sinner, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive injuries; and lastly, to pray for the living and the dead.  Similarly, there are seven corporal works: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned, and to bury the dead.  Our BLD Community provides opportunities for members to do both spiritual and corporal works of mercy in concrete and specific terms.

Genuine love of neighbor demands that we do more than merely express our sympathy and concern.  Indeed, there is so much that we can do for our marginalized brothers and sisters, we hardly know where to begin.  Sometimes there are limitations, and we become frustrated.  But as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”  Little by little, we can give healing, we can show kindness, we can listen with love, we can understand and be tolerant, and we can forgive.  What is important is that our hearts are pure, ready to serve and minister to our neighbor. Indeed, the Lord has this promise to the last, the least, and the lost: “The Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds, he spurns not,” (Ps 69:34).

Someone said, “An act of kindness is always something beautiful to behold.  An act of love neutralizes a million acts of hate.  Our lives would not be in vain if through our lives, we give a little more love and kindness to those around us, especially to those who are truly in need.”

Prayer:
Our Lord Jesus, touch our hearts that we may love like You.  Grant us the grace to imitate and follow Your loving examples, to share without condition, to help without discrimination and to serve without expecting any reward.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. What are the ways and means by which you can help a neighbor in need?

2. Given your personal situation, what concrete acts of mercy can you render, despite your limitations?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
July 10, 2016 (Sun)    Dt 30:10-14/Ps 69:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37/Col: 1:15-20/Lk 10:25-37
July 11, 2016 (Mon)    Is 1:10-17/Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21-23/Mt 10:34-11:1
July 12, 2016 (Tue)    Is 7:1-9/Ps 48:2-3,3-4,5-6,7-8/Mt 11:20-24                July 13, 2016 (Wed)    Is 10:5-7,13-16/Ps 64:5-6,7-8,9-10,14-15/Mt 11:25-27
July 14, 2016 (Thu)     Is 26:7-9,12,16-19/Ps 102:13-14,15,16-18,19-21/Mt 11:28-30
July 15, 2016 (Fri)    Is 38:1-6,21-22,7-8/Is 38:10,11,12,16/Mt 12:1-8
July 16, 2016 (Sat)    Mt 2:1-5/Ps 10:1-2,3-4,7-8,14/Mt 12:14-21

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

WSC Reflection 10 July 2016 Final