💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 7 💖

First Reading - Galatians 1:6-12

Gospel - Luke 10:25-37

What is easier and cozier? It's to escape occasions of responsibility. When we assume responsibility, we are burdened with liabilities. Therefore, to avoid responsibility means to remain unaffected and comfortable in a safer zone. However, the readings today teach us to step out to the periphery from our comfort zones, to take responsibility, and to defeat a cozy life of selfishness.

The first reading reveals Paul's concerns for the Christians in Galatia. He hears about the heretical teachings spreading among Christians, promoted by the Judaizers. He warns the Christians about these teachings and asserts the authenticity of his message about Jesus and His teachings.

The passage in the first reading is saturated with Paul's great concern for the community, lest they are led astray from the authentic teachings. This passage also shows how Paul takes on the responsibility to protect and save them from spiritual threats.

The Gospel passage presents a beautiful example of love in the person of a Samaritan. The Samaritan becomes an example to be imitated by Jews in Jesus' parable.

The Samaritans were arch-enemies of the Jews due to historical tensions, but Jesus sets a Samaritan as an example to be emulated. This is a paradox of life, where the example of an enemy becomes a message.

Jesus teaches, through the parable, that it is love that compels us to take responsibility. This love is mirrored by the Samaritan who, observing a man lying half-dead, was filled with compassion and cared for the injured man. In contrast, we also see the priest and the Levite—religious figures and the most likely to help—who refused to take responsibility for the injured man.

Dear friends, there is a need for us to take responsibility for our brothers and sisters who are in need and vulnerable. It is always easier and more comfortable to wash our hands of those affairs that might soil us, challenge us, or demand responsibility from us. Indeed, it is difficult to take responsibility for those in need because it requires extra effort and challenges, as seen in the case of the Samaritan, who took extra trouble to bandage the injured man and bring him to the inn. It is only love for our fellow brothers and sisters that can strengthen us to take up this challenge and go the extra mile in their suffering. In doing so, we prove that we love our neighbors, which is Jesus' injunction to us.

Let us not escape from our responsibility for our needy brothers and sisters, but become like the good Samaritan, who understood the needs of the injured person. Let us show a sense of sensitivity toward our brothers and sisters, like Paul, who, realizing the need for pastoral care, encourages them to remain firm in their faith.

We can become good Samaritans by perceiving the hurt, pain, or brokenness in a person and taking a step to listen to someone who has suffered, by spending time with the lonely, and, if possible, helping them overcome their struggles. We can also become good Samaritans by caring for the vulnerable. Let us strive to become good Samaritans every day in our lives.